Review Summary: "There's a lot I've not forgotten, but I let go of other things." You could make the argument that after the release of High Violet, The National needed a bit of a soft reset. Anyone who had been paying attention understood that Matt Berninger and company were the true sad bastards of indie rock, but this particular album felt like a dirge obscured in nothing but sorrowful murkiness and gloom. Because of this, Trouble Will Find Me sounds like a momentary reprieve from the darkness, at least from a production standpoint. The sound is crisper and more refined, ever-so-slightly brighter (think “Humiliation”) and the mood of the band sounds a smidge less dour (think “Heavenfaced”). At least at certain points. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that the band has replaced its overall dreary disposition for a sunnier outlook on life, especially not if Berninger has any input on the matter. The man can still pen an absolute downer of a line like “When I walk into a room, I do not light it up” on “Demons” or “I don’t need any help to be lonely when you leave me,” on “Slipped.”