The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
I really don’t get this, too. I dislike them for about the same reasons I dislike Spoon. This disaffected - non-committal, almost - sort of indie-rock is just so bland and formulaic I can’t listen to the whole album through in one sitting.
What the fuck is up with the Joy Division cop-out? Just because the dude sings in that Ian Curtis baritone doesn’t make the music stylish/cool/good. Oh wait, maybe it does. Thing is, at least Joy Division had aggression. If the Factory band had been around to contribute some watered-down slush for The O.C. soundtrack, this would be it.
I’m not saying I don’t like them just cause they sound like a Joy Division copy. I mean, that would just smack of the ‘back-in-the-day’ talk I absolutely hate. I don’t like them because they sound like a bad Joy Division copy. I don’t like them because, to me, they pander to the singles crowd, the convenient fans, the ‘lemme post the music video on Facebook’ half-listeners.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with that; people listen to what they want to, how they want to. But I’m not talking about the people, I’m talking about the kind of (indie) music that allows for this: this sort of almost-there songs that just sound better as a single YouTube link.
They’re just really not doing anything new or exciting or plain good. It really is non-committal music for the non-committal listener. On the other hand, The National’s sister band Clogs is really really good.
