The National is an indie/alternative/rock quintet formed in 2001, fronted by singer and lyricist Matt Berninger. They’re known for their somber ballads like “Guilty Party,” “Lucky You,” “I Need My Girl” and other slow hits. Their best-known albums are 2007’s “Boxer” and 2010’s “High Violet.”

We’ll hear a few songs from each of their albums, including their September 2017 release “Sleep Well Beast” (my album review can be found on LSUnow.com). Besides the somber ballads, we’ll also explore their more upbeat numbers such as “Murder Me Rachael,” “Lit Up,” and “Mistaken for Strangers.” I want to prove that there’s more to this band than your average indie-rock band and that every album has brought new influences to their sound, which is especially the case with “Sleep Well Beast.” The National has fully embraced electronic influence in their style, which was originally closer to a kind of acoustic post-punk. We’ll give every stage of the band’s evolution  a listen at 8 p.m. on October 18, only on KLSU.