The National are and have been sweethearts of the indie rock community for two decades now because they seem to know exactly what fans want from them. The group is back with some massive news: their ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, will drop on April 28, and its first single is here to keep up occupied till does. Listen to “Tropic Morning News” below:

Co-written with frontman Matt Berninger’s wife, Carin Besser, the above track was named after a phrase Besser invented to describe doomscrolling: “The idea of referring to the darkness of the news in such a light way unlocked something in me. It became a song about having a hard time expressing yourself, and trying to connect with someone when the noise of the world is drowning out any potential for conversation.”

“When Matt came in with that song in the depths of his depression, it felt like a turning point for us,” said multi-instrumentalist Aaron Dessner. “It’s almost Dylan-esque in its lyrics and it’s so much fun to play; everything suddenly felt like it was coming alive again.”

First Two Pages of Frankenstein was first put on hold while lead singer Matt Berninger negotiated “a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all. Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end.” However, according to guitarist and pianist Bryce Dessner, The National “managed to come back together and approach everything from a different angle, and because of that we arrived at what feels like a new era for the band.”

The above song is the first piece of evidence we have in support of this idea — the signs do indeed point to a new and vibrant phase in the band’s timeline. The 11-track record was produced by the band at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York and features guest contributions from Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens.

First Two Pages of Frankenstein tracklist:

1. Once Upon A Poolside (feat. Sufjan Stevens)
2. Eucalyptus
3. New Order T-Shirt
4. This Isn’t Helping (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
5. Tropic Morning News
6. Alien
7. The Alcott (feat. Taylor Swift)
8. Grease In Your Hair
9. Ice Machines
10. Your Mind Is Not Your Friend (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
11. Send For Me

The National tour dates:

United States
May 20 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre *
May 21 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre *
May 24 – Washington, DC – The Anthem *
May 26 – Boston, MA – Boston Calling Festival
May 28 – Napa, CA – Bottlerock Festival
May 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre *
June 2 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield *
June 3 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield *
June 4  – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park *
June 5 – Burnaby, BC, Canada – Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park *
August 1 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia ~
August 3 – New Haven, CT – Westville Music Bowl ~
August 7 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit ~
August 8 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee ~
August 9 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory ~
August 11 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom ~
August 15 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater ~
August 16 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park ~
August 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden with very special guest Patti Smith and her band

United Kingdon / European Union
September 21 – Dublin, IRE – 3 Arena *
September 23 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena *
September 24 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Arena *
September 26 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace *
September 29 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome ^
September 30 – Berlin, DE – Max-Schmeling-Halle ^
October 1 – Munich, DE – Zenith ^
October 4 – Madrid, ES – WiZink Center ^
October 5 – Porto, PT – Super Bock Arena ^
October 6 – Lisbon, PT – Campo Pequeno ^

Support:
*Soccer Mommy
~The Beths
^ Bartees Strange

Photo Credit: Owen Ela