High Violet by the National

The National's fifth album glowers under leaden skies, but despite their cult reputation, the Brooklyn five piece deal in fairly conventional shades of gloom; singer Matt Berninger's desolate baritone is set to thrumming guitars and piano, widescreen choruses unfurl at predictable moments and glimmers of anything more distinctive are usually soon extinguished. Opener "Terrible Love" is a case in point: its sparse intro nods tantalisingly to the compelling bleakness of alt-country troubadour Micah P Hinson; its epic conclusion is efficient, but standard-issue angst-rock.