The National Play Soon-to-Be-Released Album in Full at Beacon Theatre
The National – Beacon Theatre – April 22, 2019
The National have reached the point in their career where the beast they have created is hungry enough to feast on different media beyond the world of music. With their next moves, they have earned enough confidence to afford to make grand gestures, which is exactly what they’re doing with their soon-to-be-released eighth album, I Am Easy to Find. This time around, the band teamed up with renowned film director Mike Mills for what was originally just intended to be music to accompany a short film. But the collaboration quickly swelled with possibilities as the two creative forces began to feed off of each other. Mills ended up coproducing the new album, and some of the dialogue in the 25-minute short ended up as lyrics in some of the LP’s pivotal songs. Ahead of its proper release, the band and Mills brought the film to the Beacon Theatre on Monday night for its U.S. debut.
As fans shuffled into the historic venue’s aisles, singer Matt Berninger walked out for a brief intro to the film we were about to see. He described the fruitfulness of the National’s collaboration with Mills—mentioning that as a graphic designer with an incredibly keen eye, the director had also provided creative direction for the evening, designing the complete stage show as well as the band’s merch and even their tour laminates. The gorgeous movie follows the life arc of a woman, played by Alicia Vikander, as she struggles to understand the complexities and cyclical nature of life. I’ll keep the description short as the film moves through the character’s life with a quick a fluid efficiency to a swelling and propulsive soundtrack by the band.
After the short concluded, Berninger returned to the stage with bandmate Aaron Dessner and Mills, plus a special moderator, Julien Baker. The chat was quick and friendly, as Baker, who’s previously toured with the National, asked thoughtful questions about this creative partnership. Following a brief intermission, for the purpose of alcohol as Berninger explained, the band returned for a special performance of I Am Easy to Find in full. As those in the crowd had experienced from watching the film, the new songs expand on the direction the National had been building toward on Sleep Well Beast. The songs simmered with lush yet tense orchestral arrangements further cementing the National as one of the all-time great 4:45 a.m. bands. Their music is the perfect soundtrack for that quiet sobering introspection before anyone else is awake to distract you from your soul-searching session.
To bring these new songs to life, the five-piece welcomed a full string section, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and a trio of female singers that included Mina Tindle and Baker. The new songs contained everything there is to love about the band. At times, the arrangements become overwhelming with possibilities as both Aaron and his twin brother, Bryce, layered their dreamlike guitar textures over the propelling rhythm section. —Pat King | @MrPatKing
Photos courtesy of Mina J
(The National and Courtney Barnett play Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell on 6/13—6/12 is already sold out.)