June 26, 2018 note
The National's "Lean" caught my ear while listening to the band's Live at Sydney Opera House video.
The National sound restrained and somber on "Lean," their new contribution to the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack.
The band builds a moody texture of acoustic guitars and, later, violin embellishments as frontman Matt Berninger portends doom with lyrics like, "Everybody needs a prayer and needs a friend / Everybody knows the world's about to end."
Throughout the song's four minutes, though, the band barely break a sweat, keeping their cool even as Berninger coos "Dying is easy" in the chorus.
Today, I began working on a performance backing track for the tune. As usual, I begin with piano. Fairly straight-forward. Guitars will go on top, live.
Next: backing-track drums.
Drums...
From Modern Drummer
Bryan Devendorf’s drumming is deceptively simple.
A brilliant accompanist to The National’s diverse, moody, and propulsive oeuvre, Devendorf provides vital rhythmic hooks to some of the group’s best-known songs.
If you seek out a live performance of “Bloodbuzz Ohio” or “Squalor Victoria,” you can hear an audible audience roar when Devendorf introduces the signature drum patterns for these fan favorites.
"Deceptively simple" is an understatement.
Admittedly I'm not drum-schooled, but I've just spent many (many) hours trying to get that Devendorf rhythm, often working in looped 2-bar segments to get it right. No Logic Pro X Drummer track here! Each note counts.
The joy, of course, is listening, listening, listening. And asking... how does he do that?
Just about every review of any National album will mention Devendorf ‘s unique, off-kilter drumming. But more drummers should take note of his creativity...
Devendorf’s drums can take songs that don’t seem to have much rhythm or shape whatsoever and give them their punch, but his playing never feels invasive.
A perfect example is “Squalor Victoria” off of their 2007 breakout album Boxer. His dancey, tribal march gives a song built around a droning violin and a lock-stepped piano groove its life and its sense of building dread.
And live, he turns it into another beast...
from 5 Drummers of Indie Rock to Pay Attention To
Finished performance backing track June 27.
Glad I spent the time getting the drums reasonably "right"!
Warmest aloha,
Cat
