The National Share Moody New Songs “Space Invader” and “Alphabet City”

Photo Credit: Graham MacIndoe

The sad dads are back. Having just released their full-length LP First Two Pages of Frankenstein not long ago, The National are back with a pair of moody singles amidst North America tour.

“Alphabet City” and “Space Invader” both arrive with melancholy visualizers directed by Noah Sacre and Pauline de Lassus with animations and drawings from de Lassus. The seven-minute “Alphabet City” finds frontman Matt Berninger in contemplation of the past, lost on the train ride. “What if I stayed on the C train tail Lafayette? What if we never met? What if I only had done with you told me and never looked back?”

Spiraling into “what ifs” is tempting. Unfulfilled endings, alternative life.

In “Space Invader,” Berninger gazes into the stars with Interstellar agony. “I’ll still be here when you come back from space. I will listen for you at the door,” he sings. “Sometimes I barely recognize this place when you’re with me, I don’t miss the world.”

The sad dads released their ninth studio LP in April. Spanning 11 songs, the album featured guest appearances of Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift, and Sufjan Stevens.

The band is currently on tour in support of First Two Pages of Frankenstein.