- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
"Alligator" is easily the National's best effort and quite possibly one of this year's finest records.
-
UncutIt's their first masterpiece. [Album of the Month, May 2005, p.94]
-
It is the sound of Interpol as reinterpreted by Tom Waits--a breathtaking album with bite.
-
The National are able to pack as much power into the songs on Alligator as any of the more heralded indie-rock bands working right now, only The National have taken the common influences and grafted them into something altogether fresh and remarkable.
-
Entertainment WeeklyThe twilit melodies and Matt Berninger's gossamer vocals will haunt your troubled dreams. [22 Apr 2005, p.64]
-
FilterBerninger sounds smart and witty; but above all else, he sounds like he really went for it this time. [#15, p.105]
-
MojoWalks the same Cold War-era Bowery streets as Interpol but is not more than a half step away from lysergic brilliance. [May 2005, p.108]
-
The National seems to have settled into a fine balance between the hungover brooding of Leonard Cohen and the more mellifluous tendencies of Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen.
-
Tonally and lyrically somewhere between L. Cohen, Aidan Moffett and David Berman, Berringer's cynical, world-worn love-letters and resigned croon work perfectly with the band's rock steady rhythm-section.
-
While Sad Songs was immediately arresting, able to knock the wind clean from those who found it, Alligator conjures the same black magic on a broader scale, readying itself to be known beyond those small circles.
-
[A] fine collection of city-weary poetry.
-
Q MagazineLike R.E.M. when they were good, [The National's] superficially simple songs have a real depth and resonance. [May 2005, p.114]
-
Part of the problem with Alligator is that it echoes so many other records, but part of its satisfaction is that it sets itself apart so well.
-
The rest of the band plays straight man, setting up Berninger's punchlines and peeling him off the floor at the end of the night.
-
Painstakingly crafted, casually baroque music for people who get off a little bit on feeling blue.
-
Massed vocals and backing harmonies are two of the few things the National have added to their sound since their last album, and though Alligator is satisfying and engaging, it's not quite as bracing as their stellar sophomore outing, 2003's Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers.
-
Alternative PressPacked with timeless rock songs. [May 2005, p.174]
-
Alligator's biggest missteps are the moments when the music joins in the apprehension, rendering the coyness in Berninger's lyrics unreadable.
-
Depressed guitar poetry that's both elegantly wasted and kinda murky.
-
New Musical Express (NME)It's music for downhearted cattle rustlers to mournfully skin steers to. [9 Apr 2005, p.58]
-
PopMattersMay 2, 2012REVIEW#1: Over 13 doing-nothing tracks, Matt Berninger bumbles out useless lyrics that he doesn't have the guts to put across. (Score=20); REVIEW#2: Alligator is one of those albums that slowly dawns on you. Given half a chance, it's ultimately a very rewarding listening experience that I predict will continue to grow in stature as time passes. (Score=70)
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 138 out of 152
-
Mixed: 5 out of 152
-
Negative: 9 out of 152
-
DavidR.Mar 29, 2008
-
tomsApr 15, 2005my favorite record of the year so far.
-
Oct 21, 2017