High Violet, the fifth album by the critically beloved Brooklyn band The National, roughs up the glimmering beauty of its 2007 predecessor, Boxer. But the new record still achieves the balance that's made the group so widely admired: It locates the sweet spot between majesty and mopery, catharsis and wallowing, soaring grace and wounded confessionals. This year has marked a major commercial breakthrough for The National: High Violet hit the Billboard Top 5 and made the band a staple on this summer's highest-profile festival stages. Hear The National perform live from the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn.
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