My gosh, what a stellar week for music! Great songs by The National, Sea Power, The Zangwills, Death Cab for Cutie, Fall Out Boy, Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown, and Depeche Mode, and that’s just the top 7! The National’s captivating “Tropic Morning News” ascends to the top of my chart this week. The song is the lead single from their ninth studio album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, due for release on April 28. For those unaware, The National consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards) and Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), and brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). I love their sophisticated songwriting and rich, complex sound, especially Matt Berninger’s beautiful baritone vocals.

According to an article by Leah Degrazia for the website Genius, the album came together while Berninger was emerging from a period of crippling writer’s block (something I can strongly relate to). “Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end,” Berninger said. The song’s lyrics, written by Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser, speak of how constantly inundating yourself with negative news can pull you into a dark hole of isolation and sadness, making it hard to reach out and form deep human connection.

In other chart developments, the gorgeous “Soften” by exceptionally-talented Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey enters the top 10. Entering this week’s chart are “Angelica” by the delightful English duo Wet Leg, at #29, and “1982” by Dutch alternative rock band Morgendust, whose wonderful self-titled album I recently reviewed, at #30.

1. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
2. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (3)
3. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (1)
4. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
5. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (4)
6. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (7)
7. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (8)
8. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (10)
9. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (5)
10. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (11)
11. PAGES – White Reaper (9)
12. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (15)
13. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (12)
14. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (16)
15. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (17)
16. KID – The Revivalists (21)
17. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (22)
18. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (23)
19. EYEZ – The Arcs (18)
20. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (19)
21. MODERNISE – The Slow Readers Club (20)
22. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (26)
23. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (13)
24. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (14)
25. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (27)
26. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (28)
27. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (29)
28. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (30)
29. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (N)
30. 1982 – Morgendust (N)