After two albums and several busy years of touring, 'First Two Pages of Frankenstein' had initially stalled as lead singer Matt Berninger navigated "a very dark place where I couldn't think of any lyrics or melodies at all...Although we were always anxious when working on a record, this was the first time it felt like things were really coming to an end." Instead, The National "managed to get back together and approach everything from a different angle, and we've entered what feels like a new era for the band," said guitarist/pianist Bryce Dessner, whose bandmates also include his brother Aaron (guitar/piano/bass) and the brothers Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devendorf (drums).