Nine albums in, The National are a sad dad record with the needle in the groove. You know the sound and taste and feel you are getting as soon as the gloomy folk glow blooms and Matt Berninger’s baritone malaise takes over.

They have a sound that has been mimicked and cribbed by a number of musicians, including Taylor Swift who’s spent recent years pulling the band into her orbit. First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, isn’t a new look for The National, but rather a comfortable, well worn – but still flattering- pair of jeans.

The band is past writer's block and depression. This is probably their healthiest and most focused album in years. It is comfort zone music from The National, and that’s a good thing.