If you loved them for their punchy hymns, you’ll need some time to get to like The National’s latest album. The soundscapes have become a bit more complex, but the longer you listen to them, the better they go with the no-nonsense guitar tunes and dreamy vocals. Favourite song in the world right now: «Empire Line».

From Weekly Filet #247, in September 2017.

First Listen Live: The National, «Sleep Well Beast»

First Listen Live: The National, «Sleep Well Beast»

💔 Some older links might be broken — that's the state of the web, sadly. If you find one, ping me.

You might also like

The unlikely odds of making it big

The unlikely odds of making it big

Kiasmos Debut Record

Kiasmos Debut Record

The National Live @ Elbphilharmonie

The National Live @ Elbphilharmonie

Olafur Arnalds – For Now I Am Winter

Olafur Arnalds – For Now I Am Winter

Explore more →

Explore collections

Bingeworthy Podcasts & Episodes 36 links Making Sense of the Climate Crisis 41 links Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence 40 links The Art of Thinking (Differently) 28 links Work Smarter 17 links How Technology is Reshaping Our Humanity 10 links Hidden Wonders 11 links All-time favourites 20 links The Stuff Our Modern World Runs On 13 links Stories, too good to put down 16 links

Book recommendations

2025 Book Club Books curious minds wished they discovered sooner Our most popular crowd-curated book recommendations thus far. Read the post →

Book Club illustration

Weekly Filet Book Club All recommendations from previous editions, at a glance. Find your next read → 📚 David's Bookshelf The books that shaped how I see the world and inform how I think and act. Browse the bookshelf →