The National "Sleep Well Beast"

On episode 24 of ⁠Past Prime⁠, we go full “Sad Dad.” In
2017, after a decade being carried in the arms of cheerleaders,
The National were disoriented. Their unexpected stardom was
bumping up against their middle-aged domesticity. There was the
scary new President. Members of the band even dared to leave
Brooklyn for “the ru-burbs.” “Sleep Well Beast” was the band
anxiously experimenting their way through the malaise of
middle-age complacency.


In this episode we discuss the contemporary compulsion for change
(“Kid A Syndrome”), modern farmhouse architecture & the fine
line between anxiety & depression in The National’s seventh
studio album. To read more about The National, check out the full
essay at ⁠Past Prime⁠.