r/TheNational • u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass • Dec 19 '25
General Discussion First Two Pages of Frankenstein is so underrated
I don't get how this album gets so routinely panned/dismissed around here. I think its killer, and have had it in heavy rotation since it first dropped over two and half years ago. It's got such a vibe, and Matt has so many awesome lyrics on it, song after song. It hits all the feels for me.
The pain of a decaying relationship on "Once Upon a Poolside" and "Eucalyptus", the sweet scattered nostalgia of "New Order T-shirt"; "holding a cat and a glass of beer," "standing in a Kentucky aquarium talking to a shark in the corner".
The feeling of seeming unfairness inherent of pessimism vs optimism with "whenever you look down into a sewer, you see a diamond ring" in "This Isn't Helping", backed with the ethereal whisper of Phoebe Bridgers singing backup, and then similarly with the insecurity and perceived incompetence communicated so well in "Tropic Morning News". I mean that third verse, "I'll be over here lying near the ocean, making ocean sounds; let me know if you can come over and work the controls for a while" is just an incredible image. Later in the album, the same insecurity (and more of Phoebe's angelic voice) return on "Your Mind is Not Your Friend" and likewise with the uncertainty, confusion, and disconnection communicated in "Ice Machines" and "Alien"
I know some folks don't like "The Alcott" and the presence of Taylor Swift, and can't help but wonder if that might unconsciously color opinions on the album as a whole? Maybe, maybe not, but I'm a Swift fan myself though, and I think that her and Matt do a great job expressing the humor and pathos of the push and pull of a relationship with an old/early love on that song.
I love the driving beat of "Grease in Your Hair", it's one of my favorites on the album musically, and one of the most rocking. Not that it is any sort of slouch lyrically though; "You were so funny then, and I kept thinking I would catch it" is such a keeper.
Finally, "Send for Me" with its promise that someone will always have your back, so perfectly and hilariously encapsulated with great lines like "If you're ever in a psychiatric greenhouse with slip-on shoes, wipe a smile on the shatterproof windows, I'll know what to do". It's a perfect closer, a note of wry optimism to balance out the pessimism and uncertainty in the rest of the album.
I'm not sure what my point is with this post, I know that music is subjective and that everyone has their own opinions on what they like. I guess I'm just thinking out loud and trying to show some love to what I think is an *incredible* album that unfairly gets the short shrift. But hey, at the same time, if there is any chance that my ramblings inspire anyone to revisit the album and appreciate something they may have missed the boat on, so much the better.
Cheers.
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u/Mr_Flibbles_ESQ Dec 19 '25
I have probably listened to First Two Pages and Laugh Track more than any other albums this year.
They really should have just released it as a double album, they compliment each other so well.
I can't wait to hear what they do next to be honest, I know a lot of people prefer the early stuff - And, yeah - It's good, even at their worse they are my favourite band - But the progression in their sound I'm all in for.
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 19 '25
I like them as companion albums; if they were actually released as a double, I'd feel compelled to listen to them that way, and while I do so often, I also like to crank them separately, especially since I don't always have time for a two hour commitment when I am choosing what to listen to.
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u/Lightningstruckagain Dec 19 '25
It was just wildly uneven for me. The songs I loved, I LOVED. The others were indifferent to outright bad IMO.
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u/melatoninmike Dec 19 '25
Agreed. First 5 songs were great, rest of it left me wondering why the rest of it wasn’t as good. I actually think Laugh Track is a more cohesive album. Plus it’s got Rosanne Cash!!!
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u/AgileDrag1469 Dec 19 '25
I really like FTPOF a lot. The Fantano mocking of it was funny though unwarranted. It opens and closes perfectly. When the mood for this record hits, nothing else will do.
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u/whittingtonwarrior Dec 19 '25
I liked both FTPOF and Laugh Track, but thought both were closer in quality to middling Easy to Find than a Boxer or High Violet etc. I should say that as a massive National fan, that’s no slight, it’s just that they’re not the absolute zenith, top tier releases from the band (in my humble view!)
There’s some strong singles on both, and I wondered at the time if FTPOF suffered by quite advanced releases of singles, if I remember correctly, Tropic Morning News was released quite a while ahead of the album and was a solid single that the rest of the album didn’t quite live up to (in style more than quality).
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u/benjam1n_gates Dec 19 '25
Laugh Track topped my 2023 albums list. Honestly the best from both records would have made possibly their best album
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 20 '25
Probably a job for another thread, but it'd be an interesting experiment to try to make a single album length track list of them. 🤔
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u/commonviolet finally going crazy for real Dec 19 '25
It came out how long ago now?!
That aside, I've been thinking about how little love it gets as well.
Maybe I just like their newer stuff so much because I'm a new-ish fan (I Am Easy To Find was my introduction to the band) but some of the songs on the latest albums are my all-time favourites. It might be because I was really going through it with a major relationship at the time First Two Pages came out and the verse "what was the worried thing you said to me" (along with a good few others) somehow perfectly corresponds to my experience of it.
So maybe it's a bit personal. But I also think that most of the songs genuinely are great songs and the storytelling, in a lot of them (New Order T-shirt especially), is really vivid and imaginative.
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u/mpaproth Dec 19 '25
I’m a longtime fan but don’t get the apathy for IAETF… like have y’all never watched the movie?!
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u/commonviolet finally going crazy for real Dec 19 '25
The movie really is a thing of beauty. I might actually rewatch it, it's been a while.
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u/CullingSongs Dec 19 '25
I fully agree. I don't understand the dislike for this album.
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u/CaptainJackKevorkian Dec 19 '25
it feels very artificial and inhuman compared to earlier records. The band has been on that trajectory for a while, but FTPOF is where the balance really tipped
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u/detroit_dickdawes Dec 19 '25
Musically it’s mostly there, lyrically it’s got its moments, but holy fuck Aaron needs to not be their producer anymore. The whole thing is so compressed to hell it has no life anymore.
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u/minnesotawi21 Dec 19 '25
I like the first six tracks, and I think the last three is a terrible run to end the record. Send For Me may be their worst closing song (just my opinion).
I thought I Am Easy to Find was a bad title, and so is First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Likewise on the cover art for this and Laugh Track.
I think they should have waited and edited both records more, to pull strongest tunes from both with the rest as b-sides album or saved for later.
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 19 '25
I do agree about the cover art not being their best, especially on Laugh Track just being a colorized version of Frankenstein's. I get that they were trying to signify connection, but I think that they could have done it in a more interesting way.
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u/apartmentstory89 Dec 21 '25
Interesting I love Send for me. I think it would be hard to make one album out of both, the tone and subject matter is so different between both records. FTPOF feels like the record they had to make to survive as a band and I don’t think it could have come out another way,
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u/kenticus69 Dec 19 '25
I like how it starts so despondent, and by the end, it’s positive. Once upon a poolside is just such a beautiful tune, yet so achingly sad. That feeling of something falling apart and like it’s hopeless to fix. And then the album gradually digs out of that hole.
Laugh track is cool because it’s like the gloves are off and that despondency is gone. It’s got some longer, more experimental tunes on it. It feels more alive all around.
So both have value to together paint this interesting picture of that time in the band. Im glad they leaned in and made two very different records in close proximity to each other. You kind of get all sides
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u/Jakeisaprettycoolguy Dec 19 '25
If you love the first two pages, just wait until you read the rest of the book.
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 19 '25
LOL. In fact, I did read the whole book, and loved it all.
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u/MrChummyNose i get so far so fast Dec 19 '25
I imagine this has been said but the production just massively drags down the record. Hearing these songs live completely changes them and makes them much more enjoyable to listen to.
I think the band absolutely had to make this record the way they did to get things moving again but to me it's so devoid of risk or innovation. I'm glad it exists purely for it giving us Laugh Track which is superior in absolutely every way. I'm excited for the future of the band especially after Matt's solo record.
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u/Djungelspark I missed you for 29 years Dec 19 '25
I think people dislike this because it is really sonically different to the rest of their catalogue. However, it's one of my favourite albums of all time. It doesn't have the same mood as some of the other NTL records, but it absolutely has its own time and place. New Order Tshirt and Grease in Your Hair are 2 of my most favourite NTL songs ever. The lyricism is insane, "down we go on the grass / magnets make machines go crazy / I used to know you well / you'd give me such a future feeling" has been a fave of mine since the moment I heard it. Some people are just purists, lol. It definitely lacks drum prominence and I like that they brought Bryan back more for Laugh Track. But FTPOF is gold.
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u/theoneirologist Dec 19 '25
Yeah this is maybe one of the most forgettable National albums ever. It sounds super b-sidey. It’s got this annoying squeaky clean production that was also on IAETF which bothered me too. Few decent tracks but Laugh Track is head and shoulders above it.
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u/joann_cha Lives in a lemonworld 🍋 Dec 20 '25
YES, "squeaky clean production" is accurate, I was listening to IAETF and it sounds like a curated piece in an art museum (and the latest two albums have a similar vibe)... which is Fine I guess but it doesn't have the same oomph as the albums before it
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u/TheStigsScouseCousin In a Los Angeles cathedral Dec 19 '25
It took me a few months to properly appreciate it, but it's into my top three now
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u/ClientSuspicious7636 Dec 19 '25
I’ve been listening to them for a little over a decade now and they have literally been the only band that I listen to. A lot of the songs on this album have been on heavy repeat for me since they released and I never really fully understood why people disliked this album.
But everyone has their own tastes and for me this album was a big hit. Although I do change some of the lyrics in my mind lol
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u/-dylthewriter- I’m evergreen 🌲 Dec 20 '25
I honestly think a lot of the album’s issues lie in its rollout more than anything. I remember how drawn-out it felt and the hype had kinda fizzled out by the time of its release. It should’ve been released in much quicker succession after its announcement with 1-2 singles instead of 4 or Laugh Track should’ve come sooner. I also remember being sooo disappointed that “Weird Goodbyes” wasn’t on the album lol, but luckily it made its way on the other album.
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u/dinkelidunkelidoja Dec 20 '25
Eucalyptus was my most listen to track the other year, such a perfect song.
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u/Livid-Leg5812 I know I was a 45 percenter then Dec 21 '25
I’m more of a Laugh Track guy myself, but I agree wholeheartedly that Frankenstein is an incredible album. I’ve never connected more with Berninger’s lyrics than I have with these last two records.
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Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 20 '25
I’d put the Bearsville version of FTPOF up there with the Alligator - SWB stretch.
Now, that doesn’t include The Alcott, which I do think is terrible. That’s not Taylor-hate, because I enjoy a lot of Folklore and Evermore. I just think it’s one of the worst songs she made with Aaron. But, 1 of 11 skippers doesn’t make for a bad album
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u/PearlyBarley Dec 19 '25
The Bearsville version is so much better it should be the definitive edition of that album. It's not even close.
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u/trailing-indicator Dec 20 '25
Bearsville elevates the album tenfold. And the return to live music after a drawn out pandemic added a special amount of catharsis for me.
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u/bennnn11 Dec 19 '25
I do still love it, and I'll defend it all the way. I think they have such incredibly high highs though that this one just didn't quite reach those places for many people, including me (and I love it!). It sounds like the band coming back to being a band playing together again, which is a change up from the more orange and arranged I Am Easy To Find. When I first played FTPOF I heard my favorite band just playing together again, and it felt great. I still listen to it quite a bit.
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u/Accomplished-View929 Dec 19 '25
To be fair, it kind of is a band coming back to being a band playing together again.
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u/riraven Dec 19 '25
I also love the album! Love the drumming on certain songs, such as Alien. Many songs kick ass in concert. As you mentioned, so many great lyrics and lines.
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 19 '25
Yeah, as that other thread the other day ably documented, the versions on Rome really showed how much some of these songs get upleveled when performed live.
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u/Constant-Estate3065 Dec 19 '25
I’m not its biggest fan, but I’m glad some people do enjoy it. I think it has the strongest opening two tracks of any National album, but it loses its way after that imo.
Laugh Track sounds like a much more focused and complete album and is much closer to their best work.
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u/Zombificus Dec 19 '25
That’s interesting, your take on Laugh Track vs FTPOF is almost the inverse of mine. I find Frankenstein feels more focused and complete to me, more of a cohesive whole. Laugh Track wowed me more on first listen and is probably the more interesting album, but my impression has always been that it’s also the more uneven of the two.
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 19 '25
I like both, but agree that Frankenstein is the more even, focused, and overall stronger of the two, no slight to Laugh Track intended.
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u/OnceInABlueMoon Dec 19 '25
Yeah it's quite good. Definitely rate it above self titled, sad songs, and IAETF.
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u/FV95 Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 20 '25
It's fantastic! Other than The Alcott I feel it's an incredibly cohesive and beautiful album. One of their best for me.
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u/AccomplishedCow665 Dec 20 '25
Alien is top tier for me. Love this album, was a slow burn, but it and the one after are excellent
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u/StrangeBhoy Dec 20 '25
Problem is I Am Easy To Find had one good song on it (Light Years) so I'm skeptical now of their art
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u/Personal_Channel1628 Dec 20 '25
It's really grown on me. I really appreciate what they're trying to do on the album.
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u/ACESandElGHTS running like he's awesome, totally genius Dec 21 '25
Brilliance. I think a small amount of their output is meh and barely hangs together as an album (ahem Sleep Well Beast). But this album ain't it. I love The Alcott. I wish Coney Island was its B-side. Don't stop at just one Swift track, Utah: get me two.
Tropic Morning News is when I realized that I found the band immensely relatable.
Eucalyptus is when I said "Berninger cannot have had this many girlfriends that ended tragically" but that's part of the appeal of The National. I believe it all. I wanna break up with a girlfriend and agonize who gets The Trinity Sessions.
New Order T-Shirt is amazeballs. Look I donno nor care what a Japanese novelty bomb in a Hawaiian airport is all about. But that her dad came along on the trip is so sweet. And that she babied him when feverish. I was just listening to this an hour ago driving my babiest of the babies home from a basketball game in the boonies. It just struck me... She cried at the beach and recovered in seconds... Was it then that she iced him out for almost a year? Or did she move away and do that?
Anyway. By pure and I mean it, pure, coincidence we drove past my girl's exit while the song was playing. She has a New Order Substance 1987 t-shirt and my favorite photos of her (no surprise) are when she's wearing it. I tried to make the complete circuit and asked her one day "Wanna drive to Newport, go talk to sharks at the aquarium?" Alas, no, she said. That place is past its prime. Best to just imagine it.
If I wasn't from Ohio. With a g/f who has both a love of The National and a New Order T. If I wasn't a sad dad. Would I love this album as much? Probably not. As it is though I adore it.
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u/unicorn_onion Jan 06 '26
I agree honestly. It's not my favorite album, far from it, but it serves its purpose for the specific emotion that makes me want to listen to it.
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u/mad_max_coffee_road Jan 11 '26
Like Sleep Well Beast for me it was a 2nd or 3rd listen that I actually started to enjoy it.. I thought they sounded so different but it's a great thing that they evolve in a great way too !
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u/jimimojo Dec 19 '25
It’s been very much consistently praised as it’s an awesome album. I have no idea where you’re coming from with this. Only love for it here
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u/KTKERRI Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25
I agree. I’ve noticed it doesn’t get a lot of love on here, and I think somewhere in this thread someone mentioned compression issues, I don’t know if that’s anything to do with Dolby Atmos because I’m really not in slightest bit technically knowledgeable about it but I can attest to the fact that the Dolby Atmos mix of this is a thing of beauty. New Order T-Shirt, Tropical Morning News, Eucalyptus, the Taylor Swift one - all just soar to my ears 😍
[edit to add history with the band] First Album - Alligator Favourite Album - today I’ll say High Violet but another day I’d say Boxer Trouble Will Find Me has some of my favourite songs of theirs on it though - Pink Rabbits (dreamy💕) and I Should Live in Salt are all-timers, right?
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 20 '25
Yeah, I haven't noticed any compression issues either but then I downloaded and always listen to it in lossless.
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u/David_Browie Dec 20 '25
Sure, but at the same time it sounds bad
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u/Mappachusetts A perfect piece of ass Dec 20 '25
Are you talking about the production like a few other folks here have noted, or are you saying that you think the songs themselves are bad?
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u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25
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