Apartment Story
{{Infobox song
| name = Apartment Story
| cover = Apartment Story (The National single - cover art).jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The National
| album = Boxer
| released = November 5, 2007
| recorded = Tarquin Studios
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Indie rock, post-punk revival
| length = 3:34
| label = Beggars Banquet Records
| writer = Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner
| producer = Peter Katis and The National
| prev_title = Mistaken for Strangers
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Fake Empire
| next_year = 2008
| misc =
}}
"Apartment Story" is a song by Brooklyn-based indie rock band The National from their fourth studio album, Boxer. The song was released on November 5, 2007 as the album's second single.{{cite web|url=http://216.92.252.2/article/news/45497-the-national-cover-springsteen-on-new-single |title=The National Cover Springsteen on New Single |publisher=Pitchfork Media |accessdate=4 August 2009 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The single's B-side is "Mansion on the Hill," originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen on his 1982 album Nebraska. The band's cover version was recorded live on January 14, 2006 at the opening night of that year's New York Guitar Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.org/cgi/show.cgi?db=content&uid=default&view_records=1&ID=221&Group=news&mh=1 |title=2006 NYGF Launches with Springsteen Tribute |publisher=New York Guitar Festival |accessdate=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727123127/http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.org/cgi/show.cgi?db=content&uid=default&view_records=1&ID=221&Group=news&mh=1 |archivedate=27 July 2011}}
The band performed "Apartment Story" at MTV's Times Square studio on May 19, 2007 as part of the channel's Human Giant 24-hour marathon special.{{cite web| url=http://stereogum.com/archives/concert/the-national-the-human-giant-mtv-marathon-51907_005419.html| title= The National @ The Human Giant MTV Marathon 5/19/07 | publisher=Stereogum| accessdate=4 August 2009}}{{cite web| url=http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/149709/mistaken-for-strangers-live.jhtml#id=1559995| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211220204/http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/149709/mistaken-for-strangers-live.jhtml#id=1559995| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 11, 2011| title= 24 Hours Of Human Giant Live Performances | publisher=MTV| accessdate=4 August 2009}} The band also performed the song on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on September 26, 2007.{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1154258/| title= "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" Episode dated 26 September 2007 | publisher=IMDb.com| accessdate=4 August 2009}}
In November 2007, Q featured "Apartment Story" in their list of 50 Essential Downloads.{{cite journal|title=The 50 Essential Tracks To Download This Month |journal=Q |publisher=Bauer |location=London |issue=November 2007 |url=http://www.qthemusic.com/cgi-bin/q50/month.pl?skin=pepsimax2&id=13 |accessdate=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829195043/http://www.qthemusic.com/cgi-bin/q50/month.pl?skin=pepsimax2&id=13 |archivedate=29 August 2012 }} A month later, the song ranked #5 on Gigwise's "Top 50 Singles of 2007" list.{{cite web| url=http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?id=39553&image=46#gallery| title= Gigwise's Top 50 Singles Of 2007! | publisher=Gigwise.com| accessdate=4 August 2009}}
Reception
"Apartment Story" received generally positive reviews by music critics. Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield said of the song, "[W]hen [Matt] Berninger murmurs, 'We'll stay inside till somebody finds us,' it's both romantic and terrifying, and the drums kick it all the way home."{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/13933172/review/14459239/boxer| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518072628/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/13933172/review/14459239/boxer| url-status=dead| archive-date=May 18, 2007| title=Boxer Review| publisher=Rolling Stone| accessdate=4 August 2009}} Jamie Harper of MusicOMH described the song as "moody but beautiful. Laced with melody, but understated."{{cite web| url=http://www.musicomh.com/singles/national-3_1107.htm| title=The National - "Apartment Story" - Track Review| publisher=MusicOMH| accessdate=4 August 2009}} Tom Milway of Drowned in Sound said it "hits the listener with another distinctive and expertly performed drum line courtesy of Bryan Devendorf," and called the song "another radio-friendly slice of The National."{{cite web| url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/11720/reviews/2537366| title=Review - The National - "Apartment Story"| publisher=Drowned in Sound| accessdate=4 August 2009| archive-date=3 October 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003182427/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/11720/reviews/2537366| url-status=dead}}
On the other hand, David Moore of Gigwise.com said that "after about ten plays it creates a personality for itself and you start to get it, but ten times is a lot." He added that the song "works much better inside the album than it does a stand alone track." However, Moore did note that as an introduction to the band, "it's a perfect place to start."{{cite web| url=http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/tracks/38298/The-National---Apartment-Story| title=The National - "Apartment Story"| publisher=Gigwise.com| accessdate=4 August 2009}}
Music video
The music video for "Apartment Story" was directed by Banner Gwin, and was released in September 2007. Filmed in the basement of a church a few blocks from Berninger's Brooklyn apartment, the video features the band's friends and family as extras.{{cite web| url=http://www.spinner.com/2007/09/11/video-premiere-the-national-apartment-story/| title=Video Premiere: The National, "Apartment Story"| publisher=Spinner.com| accessdate=4 August 2009}} Berninger said the band "wanted to capture the sweet but awkward vibe of a wedding reception or singles mixer." He described the video as "something between John Hughes and Krzysztof Kieslowski."
The video is reminiscent of the Boxer cover photo, which depicts the band performing at producer Peter Katis's wedding.{{cite web|url=http://216.92.252.2/article/news/41460-the-nationals-berninger-talks-boxer-baseball-cyhsy |title=The National's Berninger Talks Boxer, Baseball, CYHSY |publisher=Pitchfork Media |accessdate=4 August 2009 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "Apartment Story" ranked #14 on Stereogum's "50 Best Videos of 2007" list.{{cite web| url=http://stereogum.com/7441/best_video/gummy-awards/| title=Gummy Awards: Best Video of 2007| date=10 December 2007| publisher=Stereogum| accessdate=4 August 2009}}
Track listing
;UK 7" vinyl (BBQ 407)
- "Apartment Story" – 3:44
- "Mansion on the Hill" (Live) – 4:36
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Apartment Story" ! scope="col"| Chart (2007) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{singlechart|UKindie|45|date=2007-11-11|rowheader=true}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|S97xQKZDV_4|"Apartment Story" music video}}
{{The National}}
{{authority control}}
Category:The National (band) songs
Category:Beggars Banquet Records singles