The National are the antithesis of an overnight success. They’ve become popular in the traditional way: by releasing great albums and then touring nonstop for several years until people finally noticed them.
The band formed in Brooklyn in 1999 and since then, the National have released six albums, the most recent being Trouble Will Find Me (May 20th). Like the past three National records, Trouble Will Find Me adds to their pristine musical reputation. Still, the new album shows the National stepping away from their atmospheric sound, opting for something a little less dense instead. They still sound like The National, only now they seem more confident in their own skin.
May has been an exciting month for the National, not only because of the release of Trouble Will Find Me, but the band has also released their first film, Mistaken for Strangers. The documentary follows the band over the past two years while they were out touring for High Violet. Earlier this month, the National also participated in a six hour art installation at PS1 in Queens, the offshoot of the Modern Museum of Art.