Along with the release of rock band, The National’s, ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, the band released tripped out, vintage filtered lyric video to their orchestral, up-beat country ballad, “The Alcott”. When The National released this collab-heavy 11-track project enlisting indie folk stars like Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens for guest features, it only made sense to enlist Taylor Swift as a fellow collaborator. Swift’s melodic vocal compositions are the perfect touch over this acoustic, country-pop ballad. “The Alcott”, is the perfect addition to the current sonic and lyrical context of Swift’s latest musical repertoire.
Photo Credit: Owen Ela
This piano driven, poetic retells the painful rehashing that comes with awkward run-ins into an ex better forgotten, a story many know all too well. In an interview with Zane Lowe , The National’s lyricist, Matt Berninger, explains “It very much is a perspective of one person sort of coming to try to reconnect with the other person in a hotel bar.” he continued, “It’s just two people that maybe have a chance to reconnect and maybe they don’t.” when asked to unpack the song’s narrative.
The song’s bare-bones instrumental gives Berninger and Swift’s soft and airy melodies the appropriate atmospheric cradle to entangle listeners into the poetic story being told throughout the tune. The slow build from the intro to the song’s opening verse, all lead to the eventual grand orchestral rise that carries the song’s chorus, “And the last thing you wanted/Is the first thing I do/ I tell you my problems /You tell me the truth /It’s the last thing you wanted/ It’s the first thing I do /I tell you that I think I’m fallin’ /Back in love with you”.
Later this spring, The National, will embark on a 2023 world tour beginning with a four-night stop in Chicago performing at The Auditorium Theatre on May 18th. With their last North American date being in Toronto, ON on August 20th, the band will continue to Dublin and make their finishing stops throughout cities like London, Amsterdam, and Berlin.
First Two Pages of Frankenstein track list:
- Once Upon A Poolside (feat. Sufjan Stevens)
- Eucalyptus
- New Order T-Shirt
- This Isn’t Helping (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
- Tropic Morning News
- Alien
- The Alcott (feat. Taylor Swift)
- Grease In Your Hair
- Ice Machines
- Your Mind Is Not Your Friend (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
- Send For Me
The National on tour:
May 18 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
May 19 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
May 20 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
May 21 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
May 23 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
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
May 31 – 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 – Vancouver, BC – Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park
August 1 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia
August 2 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia
August 3 – New Haven, CT – Westville Music Bowl
August 5 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Festival
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 12 – 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
August 20 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage with very special guest Patti Smith and her band and U.S. Girls
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 27 – 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
October 7 – Lisbon, PT – Campo Pequeno
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