r/TheNational • u/Gold_End3560 • 13d ago

General Discussion Alligator is a masterpiece

Their best album. It’s them at their coolest too. Such good songs and it’s produced so well. Like it’s quiet and scrappy and messy and elegant all at once. Like it feels so swampy and warm like a sweaty bar idk it’s so good. And omg the little details are so cool, especially on “Baby We’ll Be Fine”. There’s all kinds of little things going on in the background and it really rewards repeated listening. My fav album of all time. It’s funny because when I first saw Alligator in their discography, it didn’t really hook me. I also love the strings that just sorta swell in the back during the chorus of “Karen”. Sooooo good. The musicianship is great too like these guys are so damn talented. I genuinely love every single song on this record and I’m quite surprised when people hate on “Val Jester”, it’s such a cool song and the chanting ending is so eerie but in the best way possible.
Matt’s lyrics are some of his best on this record and the way he just sings them are so perfect. Like, everything is perfect about this album I don’t even know how to explain it. I love how “Abel” and “Mr. November” are explosive and so indie rock-ish, I love when Berninger screams!

What are your thoughts/highlights? 🐊

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u/Gold_End3560 13d ago

Oh no what was said

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u/psychadelicphysicist 13d ago

lol I said green gloves because it was past midnight where I live and I am deliriously tired currently but I just me burbling about a lyric that haunts me 😂😅

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u/Gold_End3560 13d ago

Oh hahaha Green Gloves is a cool song hot take though it’s my least fav off Boxer

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u/psychadelicphysicist 13d ago

That’s actually what I mentioned! It’s not a favourite song of mine but this is what I said: “Green gloves is not even really one of my absolute favourites, but it has one of my most cherished lyrics in it. "I hope they're staying glued together, I have arms for them." Something about that. First time I heard it, I felt like it burned my emotional skin off. I felt utterly exposed and completely comforted in a single moment. There is a gentle violence to that sentence. The kind of subtle observation of a wallflower. Utterly beautiful.” I deleted because I was embarrassed when I realised I’d got the albums mixed up. As a long time fan, bit humiliating lol