Editor's choice:Playlist

MUSIC

Warm in the dark

Warm in the dark [Photo provided to China Daily]

The National's Matt Berninger's rich baritone always sounds soothing, even when delivering the darkest material or in the most unusual of circumstances. It has become the band's calling card and Sleep Well Beast, its seventh album, carries on that successful tradition.

The first single, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, recently became The National's first No 1 single on any chart, topping Billboard's Adult Alternative chart.

Guilty Party looks at a relationship destroyed, though with hopes of remaining amicable. It's nobody's fault, croons Berninger, over a skittering beat and an unlikely keyboard-driven groove.

Unlike The National's recent albums, much of Sleep Well Beast is about expanding the band's horizons, even while maintaining the core of their distinctive sound.

The National may be known for delivering a certain sound masterfully and the group still does, but it also has plenty of tricks left up its sleeve.