The National is the band of brothers this world needs right now and it is my pleasure to say they are constantly working on new music. Even more so, according to Consequence of Sound, The National has debuted two new songs today July 11. You can listen to them below. During their set in Croatia (congrats on reaching the World Cup finals to them by the way), the band performed to new songs live in concert, previewing them for the very first time.

The first song, titled “So Far So Fast,” begins with a gorgeous set of piano chords and a kick drum. Singer Matt Berninger quickly enters with his baritone vocals we have come to recognize him in as the simple music plays under him. Soon we hear a guitar play a small melodic period resembling a cello that sparkles in between Berninger’s vocal breaks. The song builds, and the guitar line goes up an octave as it rings over the rest of the music. The lead to the chorus comes in and the melody changes, along with the music, giving an emotion of something more hopeful before Berninger raises his voice to sing the chorus. The guitar goes into a light quick strum allowing the instruments to roll in with it. Soon the guitar are playing opposite melodies that appear to work in a fugue manner before an edge-esque guitar build slowly comes in. The drums work their way up, bringing excitement with each hit of the snare, using it as the transition into another song.

The second song, titled “Quiet Light,” opens with a drum beat similar to the ending of “So Fast So Far” as the piano changes between to bright chords. Berninger sings, his voice a little louder than the previous song debut, building excitement for the crowd. A guitar twinkles quietly for the music, letting the vocals act as the focal point for the piece. The chorus enters, expertly using the same chords but in a different context, which allows for more musical freedom amongst the other instruments. The bass and guitar then enter to give a small funk rhythm while vocals continue to soar over the rest, the band enters a sort of dance phase as the guitar begins to grow louder ever so slightly. The song ends quickly and the crowd cheers in applause.

Photo credit: Kalyn Oyer