High Violet is the fifth studio album by The National, which was released on May 10, 2010, in Europe and on May 11, 2010, in North America via 4AD.[ 4AD - The National reveal further details for High Violet ] The sculpture on the album cover was created by artist Mark Fox, and is called The Binding Force.
An expanded edition of High Violet was released through 4AD on November 22, 2010.
Release
On March 10, 2010, they performed opening track "Terrible Love" on
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, two months before the album's release.
The album's first single "Bloodbuzz Ohio" was made available for download on the band's website on March 24, 2010. The song was also released on 7" vinyl (with the exclusive B-side "Sin-Eaters") on May 3, 2010.[ 4AD - The National - Download Free MP3 of the new single, 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' ]
On April 19, 2010, a low-quality version of the album was leaked onto the internet in its entirety which prompted the band to announce that the album would be streaming on The New York Times' website from April 23 until April 27,[ Tumblr Blog Post][ The National Agenda - NYTimes.com] then on NPR's website until May 11.[ First Listen: The National, 'High Violet']
On May 13, 2010, the band played "Afraid of Everyone" on the Late Show with David Letterman. Sufjan Stevens sang backup for them during this performance.
High Violet sold 51,000 copies in its first week of sales, charting at number three on the Billboard 200. This marked the National's highest charting effort at the time (beating Boxer, which debuted at number 68),
In May 2013, the band played High Violet track "Sorrow" 105 times in a row at an art installation in New York, in a performance lasting six hours.
In June 2020, the expanded edition of High Violet was released on vinyl for the first time as the 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition.
Critical reception
High Violet was released to widespread critical acclaim. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
Standard score rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 85 out of 100 based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
critic Mike Diver hailed the album as the National's "finest disc to date" and "a potential album of the year".
Andrew Gaerig of
Pitchfork wrote that "when they aim for powerful or poetic, they get there" and described
High Violet as "the sound of a band taking a mandate to be a meaningful rock band seriously."
of
The A.V. Club called the album "carefully considered without being labored" and "richly detailed without being fussy".
s Dave Simpson wrote that
High Violet "is beautifully subtle" and "grows in power with each listen",
and
The Independents Andy Gill called it "a masterclass in subtle emotional shading".
Sputnikmusic writer Channing Freeman cited the album as the band's "third masterpiece in a row".
High Violet appeared on several publications' year-end lists of the best albums of 2010. Time named it the fourth best album of the year,
Chart history
The album debuted at number three on the US
Billboard and also debuted in Canada at number two, in Portugal at number three, and in Germany at number 10.
was
Gold Album in Canada, Denmark, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. In 2011 it was awarded a diamond certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,
which indicated sales of at least 200,000 copies throughout Europe. It has sold 326,846 copies in the U.S. as of September 2014.
In popular culture
A number of tracks from the album have featured variously throughout popular culture.
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The track "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" featured at the climax of the second season of the SyFy series Warehouse 13.
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"Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" was also featured in the sixth episode of the fifth and final season of Money Heist.
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The track "Runaway" was used in the 2013 film Warm Bodies.
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The track "England" was used in 2018 by BBC Sport in a montage detailing England's penalty shootout victory over Colombia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
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The track was also featured in the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the ABC series Grey's Anatomy.
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The expanded edition track "You Were a Kindness" featured at the climax of the Apple TV+ miniseries Defending Jacob.
Track listing
Personnel
The National
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Matt Berninger – lead vocals
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Aaron Dessner – guitars, keyboard, bass
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Bryce Dessner – guitars
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Bryan Devendorf – drums, percussion
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Scott Devendorf – bass, guitar
Additional musicians
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Tim Albright – trombone
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Hideaki Aomori – clarinet, bass clarinet
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Michael Atkinson – French horn
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Doveman – piano, keyboards
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Efterklang – electronics and filtering
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CJ Camereri – trumpet, cornet
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Greg Chudzik – double bass
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Rachael Elliott – bassoon
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Alex Hamlin – baritone saxophone
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Marla Hansen – vocals
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Maria Jeffers – cello
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Bridget Kibbey – harp
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Thom Kozumplik – percussion
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Benjamin Lanz – trombone
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Rob Moose – violin
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Nico Muhly – celeste
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Dave Nelson – trombone
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Padma Newsome – violin, viola
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Richard Reed Parry – double bass, electric guitar, piano, vocals, backing vocal arrangements (on "Conversation 16")
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Kyle Resnick – trumpet
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Nadia Sirota – viola
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Alex Sopp – flute, bass flute
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Laurel Sprengelmeyer (Little Scream) – vocals
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Sufjan Stevens – harmonium, vocals, backing vocal arrangements (on "Afraid of Everyone")
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Jeremy Thal – French horn
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Justin Vernon – vocals
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Produced by the National
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Additional production by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Peter Katis
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Recorded between March 2009 and January 2010 in Aaron's garage (Brooklyn, NY) by Peter Mavrogeorgis, Brandon Reid, Aaron Dessner, and Bryce Dessner
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Additional recording at Tarquin Studios (Bridgeport, CT) by Peter Katis, and at Kampo Studios (NYC) by Patrick Dillett
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Second engineer: Greg Georgio; assisted by Keith J Nelson
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Additional vocal recording by Christian Biegai (Berlin, Germany)
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Mixed by Peter Katis
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Additional mixing by Greg Georgio
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Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound (NYC)
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Orchestration by Bryce Dessner and Padma Newsome, except "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" and "Lemonworld" by Nico Muhly
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Cover sculpture – The Binding Force by Mark Fox
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Photography by Keith Klenowski
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Design by Distant Station Ltd.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
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| Limited CD (with foil-stamped slipcase and special poster) | CAD 3X03 CDX |
| 2LP (standard black vinyl) | CAD 3X03 |
| Limited 2LP (violet-coloured heavyweight vinyl) | CAD 3X03X |
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