The album will be the follow-up to their ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, which NME described as “their best album in a decade” in a five-star review upon its release this year.
During a show at their Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday (September 15), the band announced that the album will be released on September 18 at midnight ET. They also announced that some fans who attended the concert could receive a vinyl copy of the album before its official release in November. You can see this moment here.
News of the new album comes after the band released two new singles, “Space Invader” and “Alphabet City,” in August.
During their performance at the festival, the band played their entire 2010 album High Violet and featured Patti Smith on the song “I Need My Girl.” The band will return to the stage tonight (September 16) to perform “Trouble Will Find Me” in full.
The band added that they are “very excited” to share the new album with fans. You can watch the band announce the album and perform with Smith below:
Speaking to NME earlier this year, Bryce and Aaron Dessner explained that they felt the band had fallen into a routine.
“I think most of our relationship was focused on musical work, but we had lost sight of each other,” says guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bryce Dessner. “We’ve said before that things felt fragile, but I think this time it was different. I think it was pretty real and I think it was really necessary. We had to let it go and accept the possibility of it ending.”
“For me and for all of us, this album is the culmination of everything we have learned. Aesthetically, we are very proud of the result,” adds Bryce. “Maybe we sound more like ourselves than we have lately.”
In its review of the album, which features collaborations with Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, NME added: “The National have come back from their lowest point and back to their best.”
The band will continue touring this fall. Check out all the dates below and buy tickets for their UK shows here and US shows here.
SEPTEMBER 2023
21 – Dublin, 3 Arena
23 – Leeds, First Direct Arena
iLoveMakonnen surprisingly releases new album “My Parade”
Nicky Wire from the Manics surprisingly releases new solo album “Intimism”
24 – Glasgow, Ovo Hydro Arena
26 – London, Alexandra Palace
27 – London, Alexandra Palace
29 – Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome
30 – Berlin, Max Schmeling Hall
OCTOBER 2023
1 – Munuch, Zenith
4 – Madrid, WiZink Center
5 – Porto, Super Bock Arena
6 – Lisbon, Campo Pequeno
7 – Lisbon, Campo Pequeno
NOVEMBER 2023
10 – San Francisco, Bill Graham Civic auditorium
11 – San Diego, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater
17 – Austin, Moody Center
18 – Houston, Lawn at White Oak
19 – Irving, The Pavilion and Toyota Music Factory
