The National to Øya

There’s a good reason why “Boxer”, The National’s latest album, has ended up on a lot of best of-charts for 2007. The past year, The National has ruled the charts in Spin, Q, Pitchfork, and Uncut. Clear your calendar the second weekend in August, because then The National is coming to the Øya Festival.
The album, which was released last year, is their fourth, and has resulted in them climbing yet another step on the popularity ladder among people who love great melancholy rock. The National consists of a bunch of buddies from Ohio who’ve moved to music metropolis New York, or Brooklyn, to be more exact. In addition to singer Matt Berninger, you’ll find the two pairs of brothers Dressner and Devendorf among the line-up. These five guys have listened a lot to Bruce Springsteen, Tindersticks, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and American Music Club. In other words, they mix elements from indie, Americana, and pop in a highly sophisticated manner. The band alternates between soft melodies, tender loneliness, and raw restlessness. Look forward to a dazzling display of tender pop music when The National performs in the Medieval Park in August.

The National
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