Hear The National’s Very Personal New Track “Carin at the Liquor Store”
The National seem even more melancholic than usual on the third single from their upcoming album, Sleep Well Beast, arriving September 8th. Unlike the first single released from this upcoming record, “The System Sleeps in Total Darkness”, “Carin at the Liquor Store” takes a simpler and quieter approach to the instrumentation. The beautiful piano in the introduction sets the tone of the track. The song builds up its instrumentation with a soft drumbeat that slowly envelops the room with sound. Matt Berninger sings about self-doubt and about his wife throughout the song. He doesn’t go into specifics but we feel his pain when he sings “It's gonna be different after tonight/You're gonna see me in a different light”. Since the lyrics are personal but somewhat vague, it is easy to sympathize with what Berninger is going through. This is one of The National's great strengths as they are able to truly speak to the audience emotionally.
The National also released a music video accompanying the song directed by Casey Reas and shot with a negative film filter on.
At times The National can seem too drab and with the release of “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness,” I got a taste of the potential variance that could appear on this upcoming album. “Carin at the Liquor Store” may be drab, but it is done so well that it keeps me excited for the new album.
Listen to the Single on Spotify:
Listen to the Single on Apple Music:
Happy Jamming!
