LogFAQs > #953965159

232. The National Bloodbuzz Ohio (2010)
from the album High Violet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfySK7CLEEg

Key lyric:
I never thought about love when I thought about home

The National are one of those bands that found one strong sound and built their entire careers around slight variations. Most bands would get tiring with such repetition, but The National managed to make five classic albums while perfecting this style. Perhaps the most definitive element is Matt Berningers baritone, imbued with just enough passion to overcome the borderline monotony. Few popular acts go this low with their vocals, and even less do so with such warmth. The lyrics are bewildering, including a trip to Ohio on a swarm of bees, but Berningers conviction sells the absurdity as something mundane.

Contrasting the gentle vocals is a pressing drumbeat. Bloodbuzz Ohio carries a consistently forward motion, little details finding their way into the loop to build a subtly complex sound. A key moment just past the halfway mark has the instrumentation briefly drop out, allowing Berningers voice to truly float like the swarm which carries him. The instruments then pick up right where they left off, exposing the great contrast between the two elements. Few artists are as distinctly Midwestern, and Bloodbuzz Ohio perfectly captures the pre-Trumpian sense of quiet resignation and feeling forgotten. Yet there is also the self-assured comfort of Americas heartland.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/