The National: Cherry Tree EP (Abbey Road remaster) [4AD]

Why you'll love it

4AD's reissue was remastered at Abbey Road Studios and keeps the original artwork, on a 12-inch EP. It's the bridge between the Brooklyn band's early records and Alligator, with "About Today" still one of their most loved closers.

This edition

• Remastered at Abbey Road Studios
• 12" EP
• Original artwork
• Download card included

About the album

Before they were filling arenas, the National were a Brooklyn band with Cincinnati roots and a habit of writing slow-burning songs about bad nights and good intentions. Cherry Tree caught them in 2004, sharpening up between Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers and their breakthrough Alligator, and it shows just how quickly they were growing.

Peter Katis, Nick Lloyd and the band recorded it in Brooklyn and beyond, with Padma Newsome adding viola, violin and vocals on "All Dolled-Up in Straps" and "A Reasonable Man (I Don't Mind)." "Wasp Nest" is a hushed opener, "All the Wine" (later reworked for Alligator) swaggers, and the title track glows. "About Today" builds from a whisper into one of their most affecting songs, later heard in the film Warrior, and "Murder Me Rachael" comes live from a 2003 Black Session for France Inter in Paris.

It first came out on red 10-inch vinyl through Shake It!, a record shop in the band's hometown of Cincinnati, which strikes us as a thoroughly sensible thing for a record shop to do.

Also at Kops: more The National on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On 4AD (cat# 4AD0314T), a reissue of the 2004 EP.