National in 'Trouble' on latest release

Calling “Trouble Will Find Me” dreadful isn’t an empty, Simon Cowell sort of expression. The album is literally dreadful. It fills me with dread.

Unfortunately, The National can’t seem to find the balance between dark and light. This is a problem that I’ve noticed in their previous albums. However, the appeal of The National isn’t to be written off, and I understand why they have a notable following. By no means does every artist have to produce an album with the Jack Johnson air of happiness and optimism. In fact, melancholy is a cherished trait in a lot of music that I enjoy.

That being said, it isn’t the lyrics or the dark clothing and solemn faces of the five-member indie squad that fills me with dread while listening to “Trouble.” It is the severe lack of any emotion whatsoever that astounds me. Lead singer (and admittedly awesome baritone) Matt Berninger manages to sing through every song without seeming to feel a single word he’s saying, as if he is simply waiting for the album to end.Well, I wanted it to end, too, Mr. Berninger.

The term “monotonous” comes to mind, which is odd considering the overall instrumentation. Certainly, The National doesn’t have a problem with that aspect of composition. Tracks like “Demons” and “Don’t Swallow the Cap” offer a bit of flavor, and “Sea of Love” has a bright, Kings of Leon appeal to it.

Still, “Trouble Will Find Me” is severely uninviting, making me rip out my earbuds and groan in absolute frustration and boredom by track seven. Whatever appeal the music and lyrics offer is bogged down by Berninger’s inability to emote anything worth hearing.

This being said, I can imagine that I would find myself enjoying the album more if I wanted to bask (deeply) in my dread, which makes me not so quick to review this as a completely failed effort.

The overall mood of the album is without any peaks or nuances needed to convince me to keep an album in rotation, but I will remember to give it another try after my next breakup.