January 15, 2013

The NOtional

If you happen to be very familiar with the bands that this blog has tended to laud over the past few years, then chances are you already have a pretty decent understanding of what made the following band called NO (yes, a terrible name and near enough un-googleable!) 

Their songs are soaked with a sense of brooding melancholia, featuring atmospheric drums that pulsate, snarling guitars and melodic choruses, suitably textured in a way that suggests emotions like anxiety and sadness. Lyrically, the outfit seems to centre on using casual metaphors to address relatable situations, like a break up or loneliness in a big city. Hang on, doesn't this all sound strangely familiar? NO is going to get a ton of The National comparisons, and for good reasons. It's an easy (and flattering) but inevitable similarity to make. Indeed, the baritone vocals of The New Zealand native, Bradley Hanan Carter, while speaking about the tension between the wanting and waiting for love, sound like a factory-built Matt Berninger double. Check out this video and tell me if I'm wrong.




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