High Violet
Encyclopedia
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
. The band produced the album themselves assisted by Peter Katis
with whom they worked on their previous albums Alligator
and Boxer
at their own studio in Brooklyn
, New York
, and at Katis' Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. 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. The reissue includes the standard 11-track album along with a new bonus disc, featuring the unreleased tracks "You Were a Kindness" and "Wake Up Your Saints" as well as alternate versions, B-sides, and live recordings.
, 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.
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, then on NPR
's website until May 11.
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 #3 on the Billboard 200
. This marks The National's highest charting effort yet (beating Boxer, which debuted at #68).
The track "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" was the featured song at the climax of the second season of the SyFy
Channel's TV show Warehouse 13
.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a favorable score of 85, based on 36 reviews. Sputnikmusic
awarded the album 5 out of 5, stating "High Violet is another batch of cement to further supplement The National's already unshakable concrete career," also calling the album "their third masterpiece in a row." Drowned in Sound
gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, and the BBC
hailed the album as "the New Yorkers' finest disc to date...a potential album of the year." Pitchfork Media
's review stated that High Violet is "the sound of a band taking a mandate to be a meaningful rock band seriously," and gave the album a score of 8.7 out of 10.
On October 25, 2010, High Violet was awarded a Q
award for Best Album. The award was presented by Bernard Sumner
of Joy Division
and New Order
.
In a Year in Review, Exclaim!
gave High Violet their No. 7 spot for Best Pop & Rock Albums of 2010. Exclaim!
writer, Travis Persaud said "High Violet continues the envious feat of releasing another album that's superior to its predecessor." This album was number 15 on Rolling Stone
On January 14, 2011, The National were nominated for a Brit Award for 'International Breakthrough Act' alongside Justin Bieber
and Bruno Mars
, losing out to Justin Bieber
on the night.
Pitchfork Media
placed it at number 28 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".
Additional musicians
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
, which was released on May 10, 2010 in Europe and on May 11, 2010 in North America via 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
. The band produced the album themselves assisted by Peter Katis
Peter Katis
Peter Katis is an American record producer, engineer, mixer and musician.Working primarily out of his own residential studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Katis is best known for producing alternative and indie rock bands, especially for Fat Cat Records.-Biography:Katis attended New Canaan Country...
with whom they worked on their previous albums Alligator
Alligator (album)
Alligator is the third album by Brooklyn-based indie rock band The National, released in April 2005. The album brought The National critical acclaim and led them to headline a tour, with opening act Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The album was on many year-end top 10 lists, including Uncut and Planet...
and Boxer
Boxer (album)
Boxer is the fourth studio album by Brooklyn-based indie rock band The National. It was released on May 22, 2007 by Beggars Banquet Records, and has since sold over 300,000 copies worldwide. The album features a guest performance by Sufjan Stevens on "Ada" and "Racing Like a Pro" and backing vocals...
at their own studio in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and at Katis' Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. 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. The reissue includes the standard 11-track album along with a new bonus disc, featuring the unreleased tracks "You Were a Kindness" and "Wake Up Your Saints" as well as alternate versions, B-sides, and live recordings.
Release
On March 10, 2010, they performed opening track "Terrible Love" on Late Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
, 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.
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
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
website from April 23 until April 27, then on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's website until May 11.
On May 13, 2010, the band played "Afraid of Everyone" on The Late Show with David Letterman. Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
sang backup for them during this performance.
High Violet sold 51,000 copies in its first week of sales, charting at #3 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. This marks The National's highest charting effort yet (beating Boxer, which debuted at #68).
The track "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" was the featured song at the climax of the second season of the SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
Channel's TV show Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13 is an American fantasy television series that premiered on July 7, 2009 on the Syfy network.Executive-produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, the dramatic comedy from Universal Media Studios has been described as borrowing much from 1980s television series Friday the 13th: The...
.
Critical reception
High Violet was released to wide critical acclaim. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a favorable score of 85, based on 36 reviews. Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
awarded the album 5 out of 5, stating "High Violet is another batch of cement to further supplement The National's already unshakable concrete career," also calling the album "their third masterpiece in a row." Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
hailed the album as "the New Yorkers' finest disc to date...a potential album of the year." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's review stated that High Violet is "the sound of a band taking a mandate to be a meaningful rock band seriously," and gave the album a score of 8.7 out of 10.
On October 25, 2010, High Violet was awarded a Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
award for Best Album. The award was presented by Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
of Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
.
In a Year in Review, Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
gave High Violet their No. 7 spot for Best Pop & Rock Albums of 2010. Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
writer, Travis Persaud said "High Violet continues the envious feat of releasing another album that's superior to its predecessor." This album was number 15 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
On January 14, 2011, The National were nominated for a Brit Award for 'International Breakthrough Act' alongside Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
and Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
, losing out to Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
on the night.
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed it at number 28 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".
Chart history
The album debuted at #3 on the US Billboard 200 and has sold over 250,000 copies in the US and 500,000 copies worldwide. The album also debuted in Canada at #2, in Portugal at #3, and in Germany at #10. High Violet is now a Gold Album in Ireland, Denmark, Belgium and the United Kingdom.Track listing
Singles
- "Bloodbuzz OhioBloodbuzz Ohio"Bloodbuzz Ohio" is a single by Brooklyn-based indie rock band The National, from their fifth studio album, High Violet. It is notable for Matt Berninger's baritone vocals. It was made available for download on the band's website on March 24, 2010. The song was also released on 7" vinyl on May 3,...
" (May 3, 2010)- 4AD (AD 3X22), 7" vinyl and digital download
- "Bloodbuzz Ohio" – 4:36
- "Sin-Eaters" – 3:40
- "Anyone's Ghost" (June 28, 2010)
- 4AD, digital download
- "Anyone's Ghost" – 2:54
- "Terrible Love" (November 22, 2010)
- 4AD (AD 3X50), violet-coloured 7" vinyl and digital download
- "Terrible Love" (Alternate Version) – 4:18
- "You Were a Kindness" – 4:25
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
29 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
10 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
5 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
14 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
5 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| Belgian Flanders Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
3 |
| Belgian Wallonia Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
32 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
23 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
4 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 78 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
5 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 12 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 20 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 9 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
2 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Belgium | Gold |
| Denmark | Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | May 10, 2010; May 11, 2010 (United States) |
4AD 4AD 4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today... |
CD | CAD 3X03 CD |
| 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 | |||
| Japan | May 26, 2010 | Beggars Japan Beggars Banquet Records Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels... /Hostess Entertainment |
CD (two bonus tracks) | CAD 3X03 CDJ/BGJ-10082 |
| Worldwide | November 22, 2010 | 4AD | 2CD expanded edition | CAD 3X49 CD |
Credits
- Produced by The National.
- Additional production by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Peter KatisPeter KatisPeter Katis is an American record producer, engineer, mixer and musician.Working primarily out of his own residential studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Katis is best known for producing alternative and indie rock bands, especially for Fat Cat Records.-Biography:Katis attended New Canaan Country...
. - Recorded between March 2009 and January 2010 in Aaron's garage (Brooklyn, NY) by Peter Mavrogeorgis, Brandon Reid, Aaron Dessner, and Bryce Dessner.
- Additional recording at Tarquin Studios (Bridgeport, CT) by Peter Katis, and at Kampo Studios (NYC) by Patrick Dillett.
- Second engineer: Greg Georgio; assisted by Keith J Nelson.
- Additional vocal recording by Christian BiegaiChristian BiegaiChristian Biegai is an award winning film composer, sound designer and saxophonist. He studied music at the Berlin University of the Arts, the Royal College of Music in London and at Rutgers University in New Jersey, United States....
(Berlin, Germany). - Mixed by Peter Katis.
- Additional mixing by Greg Georgio.
- Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound (NYC).
- Orchestration by Bryce Dessner and Padma Newsome, except "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" and "Lemonworld" by Nico MuhlyNico MuhlyNico Muhly is a contemporary classical music composer, who has worked and recorded with classical and pop/rock musicians. He currently lives in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan in New York City.-Early years:...
. - Cover sculpture by Mark Fox.
- Photography by Keith Klenowski.
- Design by Distant Station Ltd.
Additional musicians
- Tim Albright – trombone
- Hideaki Aomori – clarinet, bass clarinet
- Michael Atkinson – French horn
- Thomas BartlettDovemanDoveman is a band founded by Thomas Bartlett. Originally from Vermont, Bartlett studied piano in London with Maria Curcio before moving to New York City to attend Columbia University. He attended Columbia for one year, when he left to focus on his studies of classical music. After leaving Columbia,...
– piano, keyboards - Mads Christian BrauerEfterklangEfterklang is an indie rock group from Copenhagen, Denmark, formed in December 2000. To date, the band has released three studio albums and are currently signed to the 4AD label, as well as their own record label Rumraket.-History:...
– electronics and filtering - CJ Camereri – trumpet, cornet
- Greg Chudzik – double bass
- Rachael Elliott – bassoon
- Alex Hamlin – baritone saxophone
- Marla Hansen – vocals
- Maria Jeffers – cello
- Bridget Kibbey – harp
- Thom Kozumplik – percussion
- Benjamin Lanz – trombone
- Rob Moose – violin
- Nico Muhly – celeste
- Dave Nelson – trombone
- Padma Newsome – violin, viola
- Richard Reed ParryRichard Parry (musician)Richard Reed Parry is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer and member of the indie rock band Arcade Fire, where he plays double bass, celesta, keyboards, drums, guitar, and accordion. He is also a member of the Bell Orchestre, in which he primarily plays double bass and is the de facto...
– double bass, electric guitar, piano, vocals, backing vocal arrangements (on "Conversation 16") - Kyle Resnick – trumpet
- Nadia Sirota – viola
- Alex Sopp – flute, bass flute
- Laurel Sprengelmeyer – vocals
- Sufjan StevensSufjan StevensSufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
– harmonium, vocals, backing vocal arrangements (on "Afraid of Everyone") - Jeremy Thai – French horn
- Justin Vernon – vocals