First Two Pages Of Frankenstein

[Machine Translation] The National, who rose to the top of the US indie scene with their 2017 album Sleep Well Beast, which debuted at #1 in the UK, #2 in the US, and won a Grammy Award, return with their ninth studio album, I Am Easy to Find, a collaboration with filmmaker Mike Mills. The National returns with their ninth studio album, "First Two Pages of Frankenstein". The album was produced by Taylor Swift, the pop icon of the century with whom the Corona Disaster forged a close relationship, and features old and new allies such as Phoebe Bridgers and Sufian Stevens, who have overcome many hardships to create a new album that is a reflection of the long-standing tension in their musical partnership. The album features 11 songs that successfully revitalized the band's chemistry by changing long-standing tensions in the partnership, caring for each other and the songs as if they were family, and approaching the songs from a new angle with the band members. The band's ability to express themselves is evident in the preceding single "Tropic Morning News," the suggestively titled "Once Upon A Poolside," "New Order T-Shirt," and the long-awaited "Grease in Your Hair" and "Ice Machines," which have already been performed live and have been long awaited to be released as sound recordings. The band's expressive power has deepened, and the band has entered a new zone. The domestic CD version of this album comes with a commentary, bilingual lyrics, and additional bonus tracks.

2017年にリリースされたアルバム『Sleep Well Beast』が全英1位、全米2位、そしてグラミー賞を獲得するなど名実ともにUSインディの頂へと上り詰めたザ・ナショナルが映画監督マイク・ミルズとのコラボレーション作品『I Am Easy to Find』を経て、通算9作目となるスタジオ・アルバム『First Two Pages of Frankenstein』とともに帰還! アルバムをプロデュースすることによってコロナ禍で蜜月関係を深めた世紀のポップ・アイコンであるテイラー・スウィフト、そしてフィービー・ブリジャーズとスフィアン・スティーヴンスといった新旧の盟友たちが参加した本作は、さまざまな苦境を乗り越えて、音楽的パートナーシップの中にあった長年の緊張関係を変え、お互いを、そして曲を、まるで家族を大切にするように気遣うこと、メンバーとともに新たな角度で楽曲にアプローチをすることによって、バンドのケミストリーを見事に再生していった全11曲を収録。先行シングル「Tropic Morning News」、示唆的なタイトルの「Once Upon A Poolside」や「New Order T-Shirt」、すでにライヴでは披露されており音源化が待ち望まれていた「Grease in Your Hair」や「Ice Machines」などバンドの表現力は深みを増し、新たなゾーンに入ったことを確信させる新章の幕開けにふさわしい傑作がここに誕生。なお、本作の国内盤CDには解説および歌詞対訳が付属し、ボーナス・トラックを追加収録。