The National - Alligator

The explosive breakthrough that defined the sound of modern Brooklyn.

Formed in 1999 when five friends from Cincinnati reunited in Brooklyn, The National spent years building a reputation as masters of understated Americana. But everything changed with 2005’s Alligator. This is the record where the band finally let the "beast" out of the cage, trading their hushed country influences for a jittery, high-tension energy that felt perfectly in step with the nervous pulse of the city. It remains one of the most beloved albums in the indie-rock canon—a "livid, beautiful" collection of songs that oscillates between sophisticated chamber-pop and raw, unhinged garage rock.

Alligator is anchored by Matt Berninger’s most iconic lyrical turns—shifting from droll, wine-soaked wit to the desperate, throat-shredding screams found on the legendary closer "Mr. November." Backed by the Dessner brothers' increasingly complex guitar interplay and Bryan Devendorf’s powerful, propulsive drumming, tracks like "Abel," "The Geese of Beverly Road," and "Secret Meeting" showcase a band discovering their own immense power. Whether you are revisiting the "sozzled" romance of their early years or discovering the roots of their stadium-sized success, Alligator is a mandatory spin—a raw, sophisticated, and essential document of a band coming into their own.