Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers

Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers is the second studio album by indie rock band the National. It was released in 2003 on Brassland Records. This is the first album on which the band worked with Peter Katis, who would produce the band's next albums Alligator and Boxer.

Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers
Studio album by The National
Released	September 2, 2003
Studio	Excello (Brooklyn, NY) Additional recording: Gretchen's Kitchen (Brooklyn, NY) Headgear (Brooklyn, NY)
Genre	Indie rock alternative rock
Length	44:54
Label	Brassland
Producer	Nick Lloyd Paul Heck (co.) Peter Katis (co.)
The National chronology
The National (2001) Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003) Cherry Tree (2004)

The album is the first to feature guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bryce Dessner (the twin-brother of Aaron Dessner) as a full member.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Alternative Press	4/5[3]
Drowned in Sound	9/10[4]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[5]
Q	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Uncut	[8]

The album received very positive reviews from music critics, earning a Metacritic aggregate score of 78 based on 13 reviews, indicating 'generally positive reviews'.[1]

As of 2010 the album has sold an approximate 27,000 copies in the US.[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the National.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cardinal Song"	6:18
2.	"Slipping Husband"	3:22
3.	"90-Mile Water Wall"	3:44
4.	"It Never Happened"	4:37
5.	"Murder Me Rachael"	3:45
6.	"Thirsty"	3:48
7.	"Available"	3:20
8.	"Sugar Wife"	2:21
9.	"Trophy Wife"	3:32
10.	"Fashion Coat"	2:02
11.	"Patterns of Fairytales"	3:43
12.	"Lucky You"	4:22

Personnel

The National

• Matt Berninger
• Aaron Dessner
• Bryce Dessner
• Bryan Devendorf
• Scott Devendorf

Additional musicians

• Padma Newsome – viola, violin
• Nick Lloyd – piano, keyboards
• Luke Hughett – vocals (on "Thirsty")
• Nate Martinez – guitar (on "Cardinal Song")
• Steve LoPresti – French horn, mellophone (on "Sugar Wife")

Technical personnel

• Nick Lloyd – production, additional recording
• Paul Heck – co-production, production (on "Murder Me Rachael")
• Peter Katis – co-production, production (on "Murder Me Rachael"), recording (on "Murder Me Rachael"), engineering (on "Murder Me Rachael"), mixing
• Hugh Pool – basic track recording
• Dan Long – additional recording
• John Loder – mastering
• Padma Newsome – orchestration
• Distant Station – design

References

1. "Reviews for Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers by The National". Metacritic. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
2. DiGravina, Tim. "Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers – The National". AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
3. "The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers". Alternative Press (183): 124. October 2003.
4. Anonymous, Adam (November 4, 2003). "Album Review: The National – Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
5. Stosuy, Brandon (October 14, 2003). "The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
6. "The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers". Q (211): 104. February 2004.
7. Kot, Greg (October 30, 2003). "The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers". Rolling Stone (934). Archived from the original on March 5, 2004. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
8. "The National: Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers". Uncut (79): 133. December 2003.
9. Herrera, Monica (April 23, 2010). "The National: Heads Of State". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 20, 2014.