The National unveil new single and album, Sleep Well Beast

The National have returned with the news of a new album on the way and have whet our appetites with new single ‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness‘.

The National return with new single and album — The National return with new single and an album due out this autumn.

In 2013, The National released their latest album, Trouble Will Find Me to mass appraisal and have pretty much not stopped touring since it’s release, with the band members also working on side projects in between.

Over the last few days, the ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio‘ band have been teasing a return after a short time away, with short clips featuring snippets from what has turned out to be of their new single, ‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness‘. However, it wasn’t the first time the band have given us a taste of what to expect from their seventh album, when they played at a number of festivals around the globe last summer, performing the lively ‘Day I Die‘.

The National unveiled the details of Sleep Well Beast this morning, as well as an extensive world tour, which sees the band return to the UK and Ireland this September. The album will be released on 4AD Records and is out on September 8th, featuring 12 new tracks.

New single, ‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness‘ has an uplifting presence about it with it’s intro with piano and soft beat. Before the introduction of a hook that repeats throughout out the track. It has a similar feeling to the work, frontman Matt Berninger made with Brent Knopf for their project, EL VY. The song still has that unique National sound about it and the bittersweet lyrics that have made Cincinnati band such a success.

The tour will see The National come to Manchester’s O2 Apollo for two nights on September 22nd and 23rd and four nights in London’s Eventim Apollo from 25th to 28th September. Those lucky enough to be heading to Worthy Farm at the end of June for Glastonbury will be able to catch them there over the weekend.

The National’s full UK and Ireland tour is as follows;

Sep 16 – Cork, Ireland – Cork Opera House
Sep 17 – Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street
Sep 18 – Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street
Sep 20 – Edinburgh – Usher Hall
Sep 21 – Edinburgh – Usher Hall
Sep 22 – Manchester – O2 Apollo
Sep 23 – Manchester – O2 Apollo
Sep 25 – London – Eventim Apollo
Sep 26 – London – Eventim Apollo
Sep 27 – London – Eventim Apollo
Sep 28 – London – Eventim Apollo

Tickets go on sale on Friday May 19th, while there’s also the chance to gain access to a pre-sale from the band’s website when you pre-order the new album before midnight on May 14th.

The tracklisting for Sleep Well Beast;