33. The National – “I Am Easy to Find”

I love The National, but on record they haven’t pricked my attention since 2010’s sublime “High Violet” (which topped my list that year). “I am Easy to Find” is (pun intended) easily their best album since that masterpiece. It ramps up the maudlin and the introspective, is rich in cinematic atmosphere (there is an actual Mike Mills directed short film of the same name). Its USP is that it introduces a host of guest female vocalists who juxtapose with Matt Berninger’s deadpan delivery on every tracks. Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, Mina Tindle, Gail Ann Dorsey, Kate Stables, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus all feature and it is that additional vocal dimension that makes the album so interesting. These are not technically duets as we understand them in that the respective female guest and Mike don’t actually seem to be communicating with each other. Instead the additional vocalists bring a whole new layer to the band’s sound. On some tracks they soften it but on other they provide additional texture. The National feel rejuvenated on this record and once again not content to rest on their laurels.