The National announced that a surprise new album over the weekend at their Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, ahead of their 3Arena date this week.
Laugh Track is a new 12-track album, and companion to First Two Pages of Frankenstein, culled from the same sessions as that album.
The National kick off their EU / UK tour this Thursday in Dublin’s 3Arena.
Laugh Track is described as The National’s most freewheeling, all-hands-on-deck album in years. Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers and Rosanne Cash all feature on the album. The Bon Iver collaboration ‘Weird Goodbyes’, was released as a standalone track in August 2022.
“Revelling in the license to radically upend its creative process, The National honed most of this material in live performances on tour this year, and captured those invigorated versions in impromptu sessions at producer Tucker Martine’s Portland studio, Flora Recording & Playback. The nearly eight-minute album closer ‘Smoke Detector’ was recorded in June during a Vancouver soundcheck.”
The album embraces Bryan Devendorf as a rock drummer.
“We developed a fairly elaborate way of building songs in which [drummer] Bryan [Devendorf] had a very important but compartmentalized role. This time we had the desire to make something that was more alive so that Bryan’s playing would drive more.”
Listen to ‘Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces)’:
LAUGH TRACK artwork & tracklist:
- Alphabet City
- Deep End (Paul’s in Pieces)
- Weird Goodbyes (feat. Bon Iver)
- Turn Off the House
- Dreaming
- Laugh Track (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
- Space Invader
- Hornets
- Coat on a Hook
- Tour Manager
- Crumble (feat. Rosanne Cash)
- Smoke Detector
The National tour dates
September 21 – Dublin, IRE – 3 Arena *
September 23 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena *
September 24 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Arena *
September 26 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace * SOLD OUT
September 27 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace * SOLD OUT
September 29 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome ^ SOLD OUT
September 30 – Berlin, DE – Max-Schmeling-Halle ^ SOLD OUT
October 1 – Munich, DE – Zenith ^
October 4 – Madrid, ES – WiZink Center ^
October 5 – Porto, PT – Super Bock Arena ^ SOLD OUT
October 6 – Lisbon, PT – Campo Pequeno ^ SOLD OUT
October 7 – Lisbon, PT – Campo Pequeno ^
November 10 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium %
November 11 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre %
November 13 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre %
November 14 – Albuquerque, NM – Kiva Auditorium %
November 16 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater %
November 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center %
November 18 – Houston, TX – Lawn at White Oak %
November 19 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory %
February 28, 2024 – Brisbane, Australia – Riverstage ~
March 1, 2024 – Sydney, Australia – Aware Super Theatre ~
March 5, 2024 – Melbourne, Australia – Sidney Myer Music Bowl ~
March 9, 2024 – Perth, Australia – Kings Park ~
Support:
*Soccer Mommy
^ Bartees Strange
% Hand Habits
~ Very Special Guests Fleet Foxes
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
