The National were a wreath on the brink. By the end of 2019, Aaron Dessner felt like the wheels were falling off. To listen to him describe it, the impetus seems increasingly owing to vacuum than turmoil. Fast forward through the pandemic and Matt Berninger was in the throes of writers block. Perhaps the wreath had run its course? Or perhaps it merely needed the knowledge and wits of difficult times and challenging circumstances to rekindle its creative flame. A Phoenix rising from the carrion or, if The Nationals latest tome title reflects its own self-awareness, a wreath rising from the dead. 

The First Two Pages of Frankenstein is The Nationals ninth studio tome and arguably its weightier hodgepodge of songs on any single album.  Its a soft, airy, and tender album, with largely introspective lyrics that tackle the emotional rollercoaster of life itself. Love and pain.  Melancholy and hope. Time will only tell if it can unzip the tout of Boxer, High Violet, and Sleep Well Beast, but there is no mistaking that this latest wing to the bands discography is a reminder that full-length albums still matter in a digital world that largely focuses on singles.  

Although several singles from the tome have been released, including Topic Morning News, New Order T-Shirt, Eucalyptus, and Your Mind is Not Your Friend, the tome is not specified by them. There are no lulls or filler here, but rather a beautifully produced and masterfully executed hodgepodge of eleven songs that simultaneously stand on their own yet shine together. The First Two Pages of Frankenstein is moreover confirmation that The National is not a wreath whose flame is fading, but rather urgent brighter than ever. As evidenced by their recent performances in Chicago, that flame is moreover hotter than ever.  

The band, consisting of Matt Berninger (vocals), Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums), kicked off their latest tour with four sold out nights at Chicagos historic Auditorium Theatre. The bands excitement and energy were palpable, as were those of the wildly enthusiastic crowd.  

Over the undertow of the four nights, the wreath provided the fans with a steady stream of hits such as Bloodbuzz Ohio, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, Day I Die, England, Graceless, Fake Empire, Mr. November and Terrible Love, as well as approximately six songs each night from nine of the eleven tracks on The First Two Pages of Frankenstein, including Once Upon A Poolside, Eucalyptus, New Order T-Shirt, This Isnt Helping, Tropic Morning News, Alien, Grease In Your Hair, Ice Machines, and Send For Me. The crowds reaction to these new tunes was a true testament to their power and eyeful as each one was uniformly embraced and cheered.

The real treat of the shows, however, was the bevy of deep cuts and rarities, such as Murder Me Rachel, Demons and Abel and the surprise of unreleased songs, such as Turn Off The House, Space Invader and Deep End. It was an wondrous run, confirming that The National is working and kicking, with increasingly pages to be written in an once stellar career.

The Nationals tour of the U.S. continues through September, concluding with their Homecoming shows in Cincinnati on September 15 and 16, 2023. For increasingly information on those and other shows, click here. To trammels out The First Two Pages of Frankenstein, click here.

All images: © Derek Smith / High Voltage Concert Photography for American Blues Scene