Trouble Will Find Me

Trouble Will Find Me
Studio album by The National
Released May 17, 2013
Recorded 2012-13 at
Clubhouse, Dreamland and Aaron Dessner's Garage
(New York, United States)
Genre Indie rock, post-punk revival
Length 55:06
Language English
Label 4AD
Producer Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner
The National chronology

High Violet
(2010)		 Trouble Will Find Me
(2013)
Singles from Trouble Will Find Me
  1. "Demons"
    Released: April 15, 2013 (radio)
  2. "Don't Swallow the Cap"
    Released: April 22, 2013 (radio)
  3. "Graceless"
    Released: August 26, 2013 (radio)
  4. "Sea of Love"
    Released: September 2, 2013 (radio)
  5. "I Need My Girl"
    Released: February 3, 2014

Trouble Will Find Me is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band The National, released on May 17, 2013 on 4AD.[1]

Produced by band members Aaron and Bryce Dessner, the album features appearances from St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, Doveman, Sufjan Stevens, Nona Marie Invie, of Dark Dark Dark fame, and Richard Reed Parry, of Arcade Fire.[2]

The album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. Trouble Will Find Me reached number three on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background

The National began writing Trouble Will Find Me towards the end of the band's tour in support of previous album, High Violet (2010). Regarding the tour's completion, and the collective mental state of the band at this time, lead vocalist Matt Berninger noted, "[We] felt satisfied at the end of touring High Violet. It was the first time ever, or at least in the past ten years, where we felt like we could put the band on the shelf for a little while, put a record out in three, four years. There wasn’t any sense of, 'what now?'"[3]

Berninger, however, became inspired by guitarists Aaron and Bryce Dessner's recent demo recordings, and subsequently completed his writing contributions to the album's opening track, "I Should Live in Salt", a day after initially hearing it. Bass guitarist Scott Devendorf noted, "Our typical way of working was to send stuff to Matt, then wait a while to get some mumbles back. He seemed really motivated and engaged with the new stuff."[3]

Recording

The band began recording Trouble Will Find Me in late September 2012, at a converted barn in Rhinebeck, New York, named Clubhouse. Bass guitarist Scott Devendorf stated that Clubhouse was chosen primarily to establish camaraderie amongst the band, noting: "The impetus to record upstate-- cooking, eating, working, hanging out together - was to achieve this music-camp feel."[3] The first four days of recording were interrupted by a tornado which subsequently led to a power cut. Guitarist, keyboardist and co-producer Aaron Dessner noted, "That night, by candlelight in the total darkness, we got really drunk and played the songs acoustically. It was the kind of scene that has never happened in the history of our band — and will never happen again."[3]

The band subsequently relocated to Dreamland Studios - located within a converted 19th century church, in West Hurley, New York - to record the track, "Fireproof", entirely live.[3] Inspired by the session, the band returned to Clubhouse and recorded both "Sea of Love" and "Heavenfaced" as one-take live performances. Recording at Clubhouse, however, was once again derailed by Hurricane Sandy, with Aaron Dessner stating, "I drove back into the city because I was worried about my family and the potential flooding, and got stuck there for four days."[3]

Dessner, who co-produced Trouble Will Find Me alongside his brother Bryce, noted that his experiences producing both Sharon Van Etten's Tramp (2012) and Local Natives' Hummingbird (2013) led him to understand the importance of "constructive, positive dialogue" in the recording studio, whereas before he and his bandmates would often argue throughout the process.[3]

Composition

Inspired by the recent birth of his daughter, Ingrid Stella Dessner, guitarist, keyboardist and co-producer Aaron Dessner began writing music with his child in mind. Vocalist Matt Berninger noted that he "react[ed] to it in a very visceral, immediate, infantile way."[3]

The lyrics to the album's opening track, "I Should Live in Salt", are directed towards Matt Berninger's brother, Tom, who directed the forthcoming band documentary, Mistaken for Strangers (2013).[3] Berninger stated that he enjoyed the writing process for Trouble Will Find Me noting, "In the past, it’s been hard to enjoy writing - like getting drops of blood from your forehead - but I loved the process for this record. I think a lot of it was because I wasn't worried - I didn't care what the songs were going to be about, or if they were going to seem depressing, or cool, or whatever."[3]

Promotion

On December 8, 2011 the band performed on CBC Radio show Q in front of a live audience. Two new songs were performed for the first time: "Rylan" and "I Need My Girl." "I Need My Girl" is featured on the album.[4] The band embarked on a tour with the Dirty Projectors to support the album.[5] When asked about the album, Aaron Dessner, the guitarist, said "our ideas would immediately click with each other. It's free-wheeling again. The songs on one level are our most complex, and on another they're our most simple and human. It just feels like we've embraced the chemistry we have."[1]

On April 25, 2013 the band performed album track "Sea of Love" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[6] A music video for "Sea of Love", which alludes to Russian punk rock band Zvuki Mu's music video for their 1995 single "Grubiy Zakat (Грубый Закат)",[7] was released on the band's official YouTube account on May 8, 2013.[8]

Singles

"Demons" was released as the first single from Trouble Will Find Me.[9] The song peaked at number thirteen on the Belgian Ultratip singles chart for the Flanders region[10] and at number sixty-four on the Irish Singles Chart.[11] Its music video, released on August 8, 2013, features a time-lapse video depicting the creation of a Trouble Will Find Me mural.[12]

"Don't Swallow the Cap" was released to American modern rock radio on April 22 as the album's second single.[13] The single peaked at number seven on the Flanders Ultratip chart.[14]

"Graceless" impacted triple A radio on August 26,[15] with the music video being posted to the band's YouTube channel on August 27[16] and a release to modern rock radio following on August 29.[17] "I Need My Girl" is set to be released to modern rock radio on January 28, 2014 as the album's fourth single.[18]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 84/100[19]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [20]
American Songwriter [21]
Consequence of Sound [22]
The Guardian [23]
The Independent [24]
musicOMH [25]
Now [26]
The Observer [27]
Rolling Stone [28]
Under the Radar [29]

Critical reception

Trouble Will Find Me has received universal critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assign an average score out of 100 to reviews and ratings from mainstream music critics, the album has received a Metascore of 84, based on 44 reviews.[19]

James Christopher Monger found that the band "perfected their sound the last time around", which means that "it’s hard to fault them for sticking so close to the fire".[20] At American Songwriter, Jim Beviglia told that "progress may not be the right word [...] but sustained brilliance is a pretty good alternative."[20] Consequence of Sound's Megan Ritt said that the release "outlines the confidence to expand and experiment with the formula, paired with the skills to do it justice."[22] Maddy Costa of The Guardian felt that "the subtlety, and the self-awareness" made the album "exquisite."[23] At The Independent, Andy Gill proclaimed that the effort "will surely cement their accession to the rock mainstream."[24] Andrew Burgess of musicOMH called the release "a collection of waves that never break" that in all actuality "catharsis never comes," but the album contains "glimpses of light coming through at the edges, and a sense of perfect order among the chaos."[25]

Pitchfork's Ian Cohen rated the album an 8.4-out-of-ten, and told that the release is "both relatable and fantastical", which is "their most self-referential album."[30] At Now, Samantha Burgess claimed that "on Trouble Will Find Me, they’ve perfected it, knowing when a hook should explode and when to hold back and let Berninger’s signature, sombre baritone take over."[26] Paul Mardles of The Observer affirmed that The National "have perfected their ruminative rock, the beauty of their intricate arrangements ensuring the end product never sounds pedestrian", and called them "the real stars of the show."[27] At Rolling Stone, David Fricke discovered that on this album "The National are letting light and air into their shadows."[28] At Uncut, Louis Pattison rated the album an 8-out-of-10, and he alluded to how the release "suggest an uncertain soundtrack can still be a source of comfort", which is the reason he thought that "for the first time, The National sound relaxed in their skin."[31] Ryan E.C. Hamm of Under the Radar called this a "cohesive experience" that is yet "another accomplished entry".[29]

However, Q magazine had another point of view and published a negative review, saying: "For a band who sing so often about matters of the heart and emotional connection, much of Trouble Will Find Me sounds oddly on autopilot."[32]

Trouble Will Find Me has made numerous "albums of the year" lists including Pitchfork Media,[33] Rolling Stone[34] and Paste.[35]

Commercial performance

Trouble Will Find Me debuted at #3 on the US Billboard 200 with 74,722 copies sold in its first week.[36] It has sold 250,000 copies in the US alone. The album made top-ten debuts in fourteen countries other than the US.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner, except where noted. 

No. Title Length
1. "I Should Live in Salt"   4:08
2. "Demons"   3:32
3. "Don't Swallow the Cap" (Berninger, A. Dessner, Bryce Dessner) 4:46
4. "Fireproof"   2:58
5. "Sea of Love"   3:41
6. "Heavenfaced" (Berninger, B. Dessner) 4:23
7. "This Is the Last Time" (Berninger, A. Dessner, B. Dessner) 4:43
8. "Graceless"   4:35
9. "Slipped"   4:25
10. "I Need My Girl"   4:05
11. "Humiliation" (Berninger, A. Dessner, B. Dessner) 5:01
12. "Pink Rabbits"   4:36
13. "Hard to Find" (Berninger, B. Dessner) 4:13

Personnel

The National
  • Matt Berninger - lead vocals
  • Aaron Dessner - guitar, keyboards, vibraphone, harmonica
  • Bryce Dessner - guitar, keyboards, e-bow, orchestration
  • Bryan Devendorf - drums, percussion
  • Scott Devendorf - bass guitar
Additional musicians
Recording personnel
  • Aaron Dessner - producer, additional recording
  • Bryce Dessner - producer, additional recording
  • Marcus Paquin - associate producer, recording, mixing (7)
  • Jonathan Low - recording
  • Bella Blasko - recording assistant
  • Nick Lloyd - additional recording
  • Martyn Heyne - additional recording
  • Craig Silvey - mixing
  • Peter Katis - mixing (5)
  • Eduardo de la Paz Canel - mixing assistant
  • John Horne - mixing assistant
  • Greg Giorgio - mixing assistant (5)
  • Greg Calbi - mastering
Artwork
  • Bohyun Yoon - cover art (Fragmentation)
  • Dale Frank - interior panel (He had not been alone at home for over four months, maybe five...)
  • Casey Reas - interior spread (Signal to Noise (Software 1))
  • Scott Devendorf - booklet covers (July 4th, Barryville, New York)
  • Doug Bennett - "I Should Live In Salt" artwork (Untitled)
  • Clara Claus - "Demons" artwork (Filament)
  • John Solimine - "Don't Swallow the Cap" artwork (Gary Six)
  • Nancy Berninger - "Fireproof" artwork (Nancy - Self)
  • Charles Wilkin - "Sea of Love" artwork (Untitled (Snow Caps))
  • Karl Jensen - "Heavenfaced" artwork (Study for White Sulpher Springs)
  • Jessie Henson - "This is the Last Time" artwork (Time Before, Time After)
  • Jeff Salem - "Graceless" artwork (Self Portrait 3)
  • Jeff Tyson - "Slipped" artwork (Untitled)
  • Randall J Lane - "I Need My Girl" artwork (Ballads)
  • Jessica Dessner - "Humiliation" artwork (Untitled)
  • Megan Craig - "Pink Rabbits" artwork (How Blue)
  • Justin Davis Anderson - "Hard to Find" artwork (David)
  • Lafont London - design
  • Distant Station Ltd. - design

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[37] 2
Austrian Albums Chart[38] 7
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[39] 2
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[40] 25
Canadian Albums Chart 3
Danish Albums Chart[41] 3
Dutch Albums Chart[42] 7
Finnish Albums Chart[43] 3
German Albums Chart[44] 11
Greek Albums Chart[45] 32
Irish Albums Chart[46] 2
Irish Independent Albums Chart[47] 1
Italian Albums Chart[48] 20
New Zealand Albums Chart[49] 2
Portuguese Albums Chart[50] 2
Scottish Albums Chart[51] 4
Spanish Albums Chart[52] 14
Swiss Albums Chart[53] 6
UK Albums Chart[54] 3
UK Indie Albums Chart[55] 1
US Billboard 200[56] 3
US Alternative Albums 1
US Independent Albums 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2014) Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[57] 53

|

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Australia May 17, 2013 Digital download, CD, LP 4AD
Germany
Ireland
United Kingdom May 20, 2013
France
Canada May 21, 2013
United States
Japan May 22, 2013

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Snapes, Laura (March 21, 2013). "The National Announce Sixth Album, Trouble Will Find Me". PitchforkMedia. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "St Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, Sufjan Stevens to appear on new The National album | News". Nme.Com. 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Snapes, Laura. "The National". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Live from the Glenn Gould Studio with Brooklyn-based indie stars The National". CBC Radio Q. December 8, 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  5. ↑ "The National Announce New LP Trouble Will Find Me | News". Pitchfork. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  6. ↑ "Watch the National Perform Two New Songs on "Fallon" | News". Pitchfork. 2013-04-26. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  7. ↑ "Звуки Му - грубый закат.mpg". YouTube. 2009-12-20. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  8. ↑ "The National - "Sea Of Love" video". YouTube. 2013-05-05. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  9. ↑ "Listen to The National's new single, 'Demons'". Consequence of Sound. April 8, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  10. ↑ "The National – Demons". ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 16 May 2013". GfK. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  12. ↑ "The National - "Demons"". thenationalofficial. YouTube, Google. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "Modern Rock – Available for Airplay Archive". FMQB. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  14. ↑ "The National – Don't Swallow The Cap". ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  16. ↑ "The National - Graceless". TheNationalVEVO. YouTube, VEVO. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on November 30, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Metacritic (May 21, 2013). "Critic Reviews for Trouble Will Find Me". CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Thomas, James Christopher. Trouble Will Find Me - The National at AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  21. ↑ Beviglia, Jim (May 20, 2013). "The National: Trouble Will Find Me". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Ritt, Megan (May 17, 2013). "Album Review: The National - Trouble Will Find Me". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Costa, Maddy (May 16, 2013). "The National: Trouble Will Find Me". The Guardian. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Gill, Andy (May 17, 2013). "Album: The National, Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)". The Independent. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Burgess, Andrew (May 16, 2013). "The National - Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)". musicOMH. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Edwards, Samantha (May 16, 2013). "The National: Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)". Now. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Mardles, Paul (May 19, 2013). "The National: Trouble Will Find Me - review (4AD)". The Observer. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Fricke, David (May 16, 2013). "The National, 'Trouble Will Find Me'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Hamm, Ryan E.C. (May 21, 2013). "The National: Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)". Under the Radar. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  30. ↑ Cohen, Ian (May 21, 2013). "The National: Trouble Will Find Me". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  31. ↑ Pattison, Louis (May 2013). "The National - Trouble Will Find Me 4AD: Brooklyn quintet's sad and uplifting sixth". Uncut (193): 77. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
  32. ↑ "The National - Trouble Will Find Me". Q magazine: 106. June 2013.
  33. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9293-the-top-50-albums-of-2013/
  34. ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2013-20131202/the-national-trouble-will-find-me-19691231
  35. ↑ http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/12/the-50-best-albums-of-the-year.html?a=1
  36. ↑ Caulfield, Keith. "Daft Punk Leads Debut-Filled Top Four On Billboard 200".
  37. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me".
  38. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me".
  39. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me" (in Dutch).
  40. ↑ "The National– Trouble Will Find Me" (in French).
  41. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me".
  42. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me".
  43. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me".
  44. ↑ "The National - Trouble Will Find Me" (in German). charts.de. Media Control.
  45. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Εβδομάδα: 20/2013)" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013.
  46. ↑ "Top 100 Artist Album, Week Ending 23 May 2013". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association.
  47. ↑ "Top 10 Independent Artist Albums, Week Ending 23 May 2013". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association.
  48. ↑ "2013 Top 40 Official ITA Albums Archive". Official Charts Company.
  49. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien.
  50. ↑ "The National - Trouble Will Find Me". portuguesecharts.com. Hung Medien.
  51. ↑ "2013 Top 40 Scottish Albums Albums Archive". Official Charts Company.
  52. ↑ "The National – Trouble Will Find Me". spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
  53. ↑ "]The National – Trouble Will Find Me". swisscharts.com.
  54. ↑ "2013 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company.
  55. ↑ "2013 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company.
  56. ↑ "Daft Punk Leads Debut-Filled Top Four on Billboard 200 Album Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  57. ↑ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2014&cat=a