The National - 'Tropic Morning News'
Resurfacing from what lead singer Matt Berninger has described as “a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all,” The National have released their latest single “Tropic Morning News,” off their upcoming album First Two Pages of Frankenstein out April 28th.
This marks the ninth studio album for the band, and was produced at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York and features collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Stevens, and Taylor Swift. Additionally, they will be embarking on a world tour in 2023, with opening acts including Soccer Mommy, The Beths, and Bartees Strange – as well as a special performance at Madison Square Garden from Patti Smith and her band.
The term “tropic morning news” was coined by Berninger’s wife Carin Besser to refer to the practice of doomscrolling; the information overload caused by incessant exposure to all the world’s news, which can be overwhelming and damaging to one’s mental health. Considering the topics of the song, the track has a surprisingly cheerful beat, the tone glossing over the rather melancholy guitar riff and lyrics. Pairing the expression of struggles in communication throughout a world seemingly bombarded with misfortune at every corner with such a lighthearted melody almost mirrors that experience of engaging with the tropic morning news passively through the haze of the media. Berninger explains that “the idea of referring to the darkness of the news in such a light way unlocked something in me…It became a song about having a hard time expressing yourself, and trying to connect with someone when the noise of the world is drowning out any potential for conversation.
Last year the band had been road testing some of their new material, including the song “Weird Goodbyes,” featuring Bon Iver. This allowed them to not only experiment and become informed through performance before release, but also incorporate the live material into the tracks. As such, “Tropic Morning News” was partially recorded live in Hamburg. Guitarist and pianist Aaron Dessner concludes “To me the power of this record has to do with the intentionality and structure of the music meeting with a lot of accidental magic.”
The National’s upcoming tour will begin in May in the United States, followed by the European and UK dates. Tickets will be on sale as of Friday, January 27th at 10am.
Words by Frances Cameron
