I Am Easy to Find (album) explained

I Am Easy to Find
Type:studio
Cover:The National - I Am Easy to Find.png
Artist:the National
Studio:Long Pond (Hudson Valley, New York)
  • Earthstar (Venice, California)
  • Aaron's Garage (Brooklyn, New York)
  • Alna Chapel (Hudson, New York)
  • Delta (Paris, France)
  • Dreamland (Hurley, New York)
  • FuturePast (Hudson, New York)
  • Funkhaus (Berlin, Germany)
  • Marble Garden (Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • The Overlook (Berlin, Germany)
  • Public HiFi (Austin, Texas)
  • Reservoir (New York City)
  • Sonic (Dublin, Ireland)
  • Studio G (Brooklyn, New York)
  • Saint Germain (Paris, France)
Length:63:35
Label:4AD
Producer:
Prev Title:Sleep Well Beast
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Next Year:2023

I Am Easy to Find is the eighth studio album by American indie rock band The National, released on May 17, 2019, via 4AD.[1] The follow-up to the band's 2017 album, Sleep Well Beast, it was supported by the lead single, "You Had Your Soul with You", and accompanied by a short film of the same name, directed by Mike Mills and starring Alicia Vikander.[2] [3] Vikander is also featured on the album cover. A trailer was released for the companion film along with the announcement of the album.[4] A tour promoting the album began in June 2019.[5]

Background

The bulk of the album was recorded at Long Pond studio in Hudson Valley, New York. Parts were recorded in other cities, including Paris, Berlin, Dublin, Cincinnati, Austin, and Brooklyn.[1] The album and film, while having influenced each other, were essentially made separately. A press release stated that the album "is not the soundtrack" for the film; the idea for the album itself came after the film was shot.[1]

The album features female vocalists including Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, Mina Tindle, Gail Ann Dorsey, Kate Stables, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.[4]

Critical reception

I Am Easy to Find was met with universal acclaim, receiving a score of 81 on Metacritic, the review aggregating site. Reviewing in his Substack-published "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau said that "almost every track is open to substantive female input on a musical whole that feels consistently interactive and empathetic and also not so glum—even when you can’t pin down exact meanings, it makes love sound possible." More negative critics, such as The Observers Phil Mongredien, complained about the album's flatness and inaccessibility.

Year-end rankings

The A.V. ClubTop 20 Albums of 201920[6]
GothamistBest Album of 20197[7]
Louder Than WarTop 50 Albums of 201911[8]
Magnet MagazineTop 25 Albums of 20199[9]
MusicOMHTop 50 Albums of 201914[10]
The SkinnyTop Ten Albums of 20196[11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Matt Berninger and produced by Aaron Dessner, unless noted otherwise.

Notes

Personnel

The National – arrangement, performance

Featured vocalists

Technical personnel

Artwork

Additional musicians

Orchestration

Brooklyn Youth Chorus

Short film

See main article: I Am Easy to Find (film).

Director Mike Mills developed a short film based on early clips of the songs featured on the album. As the two projects developed concurrently, the final songs used in each differ from one another.

Mills chose the title for both the short film and the album from a lyric in the song of the same name. The song was originally titled "Washington" before Mills insisted on altering it.[13]

Cast

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[14] 30

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 55
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[16] 15
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[17] 84

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The National announce new album, I Am Easy to Find, and Mike Mills-directed film. Consequence of Sound. Young. Alex. March 5, 2019. March 7, 2019.
  2. Web site: The National announce new album I Am Easy to Find, share single 'You Had Your Soul With You'. The Fader. Hussein. Wandera. March 5, 2019. March 7, 2019.
  3. Web site: "I Am Easy To Find" - A Film by Mike Mills / An Album by The National. YouTube. May 13, 2019. June 21, 2019.
  4. The National Preview 'I Am Easy to Find' LP With New Song, Stark Trailer. Rolling Stone. Legaspi. Althea. March 5, 2019. March 7, 2019.
  5. Web site: The National Announce New Album and Film I Am Easy to Find, Share New Song: Listen. Pitchfork. Minsker. Evan. Blais-Billie. Braudie. March 5, 2019. March 7, 2019.
  6. Web site: The 20 Best Albums of 2019. The A.V. Club. December 19, 2019. April 18, 2020.
  7. Web site: The Best Albums of 2019. Gothamist. Yakas. Ben. December 12, 2019. April 18, 2020.
  8. Web site: Albums of the Year 2019 - Top 50. Louder Than War. Gabey. Ged. December 14, 2019. April 18, 2020.
  9. Web site: Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 2019. Magnet Magazine. April 18, 2020.
  10. Web site: MusicOMH's Top 50 Albums of 2019. MusicOMH. Hubbard. Michael. December 21, 2019. April 18, 2020.
  11. Web site: The Skinny's Top Ten Albums of 2019. The Skinny. November 26, 2019. April 18, 2020.
  12. Web site: I Am Easy to Find / The National. Tidal. May 17, 2019.
  13. Web site: McHenry . Jackson . How the National, Alicia Vikander, and Mike Mills Made a Movie (and an Album) Together . 23 June 2019.
  14. Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). lt. AGATA. May 24, 2019. December 3, 2019.
  15. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2019. Ultratop. December 20, 2019.
  16. Independent Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. October 26, 2020.
  17. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. July 9, 2020.

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