The National

I don't do this very often. I think because I'm not a musician and therefore feel less the authority on the subject. But I just want to say that the band The National is flawless. They're original without being weird, or shirking their influences. Their singer insists on singing every song with a deep baritone. Their song structure is quietly epic, but some songs are just pretty. Their lyrics are emotional, but substantial, and aesthetically pleasing. They hit your heart more than your head, but without the self-pity of emo,  or the bubblegum of pop. I went to see them in May in Philadelphia, and I cried. Some of you always cry at concerts. I never do. So... I can't find a flaw.  Their drummer looks just like John Lennon and is ridiculously good. And frontman Matt Berdinger can sing even when completely drunk, which may just be a part of the act. Any band that can make you long to be in your late twenties and disillusioned is with the musical expertise of The National is worth buying every album of. It might take a while for them to get used to, but once they grow on you, you cannot get them off, but you won't try to get them off.  And you just cannot get sick of them. I am finished.