Primavera Sound’s 2024 season featured Lana del Rey and The National among the headliners. The American band closed the festival in the city of Porto with the audience in tears and an emotional interpretation of About Today.
The National is one of the most interesting indie rock groups of recent decades in the United States, and guitarist and producer Aaron Dessner has stood out for being the producer of Taylor Swift‘s last three albums, taking her sound to a respectable sophistication.
The National’s shows depend 300% on how vocalist Matt Berninger is and, in general, it also depends on his alcohol level on stage. I’ve seen him at different stages and he doesn’t always deliver the best, and even without being at his best he’s spectacular. The performance in Porto is average for Matt, unfortunately. Speaking about American politics to a Portuguese audience that didn’t seem to be connected to the topic, but when he switched to music, he found a passionate chorus.
Without returning for an encore (there is no space at the festival), they closed the performance with the simple About Today, an emotional farewell song. Released in 2004 on the EP Cherry Tree, it is part of the soundtrack for the film Warrior (starring Tom Hardy) and is one of the band’s gems. Considered one of the most introspective songs from a band that is known precisely for such intimate songs, it addresses emotional distance and fear of the end of a relationship. And in the arrangement sung in Porto, it gained even more strength.
With sparse, almost whispered lyrics, About Today sings of the feeling of discomfort and worry of someone who realizes they are no longer loved. Or, from someone who is losing someone to something like a disease that has no cure. The repetition of the question “How close am I to losing you?” It is what crushes our hearts because anyone who has experienced a loss or separation remembers that ‘that moment when the end is already a reality, but it has not yet come to fruition. The lack of communication and the lack of solutions are also increasing, reinforcing the pain. With a dark tone and minimalist approach, it is impossible not to project your own experiences of disconnection and loss into the narrative. So perfect!
Today
You were far away
And I
Didn’t ask you why
What could I say?
I was far away
You just walked away
And I just watched you
What could I say?
How close am I
To losing you?
Tonight
You just close your eyes
And I just watch you
Slip away
How close am I
To losing you?
Hey, are you awake?
Yeah, I’m right here
Well can I ask you
About today?
How close am I
To losing you?
How close am I
To losing?
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