Sleep Well Beast

On May 9, and May 10, 2017, the National's Twitter page tweeted out two short audio teasers, one from the title track and the other from the lead single, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness".

The first single from the album, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness", was released on May 11, 2017, alongside the album's announcement.{{cite news|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-national-new-single-uk-tour-2069745 |title=The National unveil new single 'The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness' & announce 2017 UK tour |work=NME |date=May 11, 2017 |access-date=July 5, 2017}} The second single, "Guilty Party", was released on June 28, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2017/06/29/534854496/the-national-reflects-on-hopelessness-and-defeat-with-new-song-guilty-party |title=Hear The National's New Song, 'Guilty Party' : All Songs Considered |publisher=NPR |date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=July 5, 2017}} A third single, "Carin at the Liquor Store", was released on August 8, 2017, followed by the fourth, "Day I Die". on August 29. The fifth single, "I'll Still Destroy You", was released on October 23, 2017.

The artwork for Sleep Well Beast consists of a black and white photograph, shot by Graham MacIndoe, of the side of a barn in Hudson Valley, New York dating back to the 18th century, bought by the guitarist Aaron Dessner and rebuilt as the album's recording studio. MacIndoe also took numerous photographs of the band during recording sessions for the album inserts.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-national-new-album-sleep-well-beast-hudson-valley-barn/|title=The Hudson valley oasis where The National recorded their new album|date=September 9, 2017|work=CBS News|access-date=February 10, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://thevinylfactory.com/news/the-national-sleep-well-beast-vinyl/|title=The National's Sleep Well Beast vinyl edition is a thing of brooding beauty|date=September 15, 2017|work=The Vinyl Factory|access-date=February 10, 2018}} Andrea Trabucco-Campos and Elaynna Blaser-Gould, with partner Luke Hayman, of the British design firm Pentagram, were the art directors for the album's packaging.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pentagram.com/work/the-national-1/story|title=The National — Story|publisher=Pentagram|access-date=February 10, 2018}}

Unusually, Pentagram also created the branding and identity for Sleep Well Beast and the band, including a corporate standards manual. Additionally, they created the marketing campaign to highlight and play on the album's themes of politics, society and propaganda as "a bit of a joke". The album and branding use the Grotesque-based font Maison with a predominantly blue and white-based color palette. From the cover, the barn was condensed into a pentagon used as the branding's logo, subdivided into two squares and triangles implemented within the design and branding, even in the artwork itself, as an allusion to corporate branding.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2017/09/08/pentagram-designs-corporate-visual-identity-national-sleep-well-beast-album-cover/|title=Pentagram gives The National's new album a corporate-looking visual identity as "a bit of a joke"|last=Yalcinkaya|first=Gunseli|date=September 8, 2017|work=Dezeen|access-date=February 10, 2018}}

The marketing campaign was executed in several ways. The band's label, 4AD, partnered with the design company Diabolical to create a mural for the album in Shoreditch, London, containing a lyric from "Day I Die".{{Cite web|url=http://www.diabolical.co.uk/work/the-national/|title=The National|website=Diabolical|access-date=February 10, 2018}} Four music videos – "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness", "Guilty Party", "Carin at the Liquor Store" and "Day I Die" – were directed by Casey Reas prior to the album's release, included in video billboard advertisements released in Times Square, London and Copenhagen. Band merchandise included the branding for the album, specifically the pentagon logo.{{Cite news|url=http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/national-sleep-well-beast-casey-reas-inside-view-videos-for-alt-rock-band|title=A National production: Casey Reas offers inside view of videos for top alt-rock band|last=Brenner|first=Sean|date=September 28, 2017|work=UCLA Newsroom|access-date=February 10, 2018|publisher=University of California, Los Angeles}}

Elyanna Blaser-Gould, Luke Hayman and Andrew Trabucco-Campos were nominated for Best Recording Package at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.{{Cite news|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/60th-grammy-awards-full-nominees-list|title=See The Full List Of 60th GRAMMY Nominees|date=November 27, 2017|publisher=GRAMMY|access-date=December 22, 2017}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grammys/8047027/grammys-2018-complete-nominees-list|title=Grammys 2018: See the Complete List of Nominees|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 22, 2017}}

{{Album ratings

| ADM = 8.2/10{{cite web |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/8895/The-National-Sleep-Well-Beast.aspx |title=Sleep Well Beast by The National reviews |publisher=AnyDecentMusic? |access-date=August 27, 2019}}

| MC = 85/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/sleep-well-beast/the-national |title=Reviews and Tracks for Sleep Well Beast by The National |website=Metacritic |access-date=September 15, 2017}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sleep-well-beast-mw0003066969 |title=Sleep Well Beast – The National |website=AllMusic |access-date=September 15, 2017 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2score = A{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-national-doesnt-rest-on-the-excellent-sleep-well-be-1798678468 |title=The National doesn't rest on the excellent Sleep Well Beast |work=The A.V. Club |date=September 6, 2017 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |last=Modell |first=Josh}}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/07/the-national-sleep-well-beast-review |title=The National: Sleep Well Beast review – ennui and elegance in scenes from a marriage |work=The Guardian |date=September 7, 2017 |access-date=September 10, 2017 |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Petridis}}

| rev4 = The Independent

| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-national-new-album-sleep-well-beast-review-2017-matt-berninger-a7918221.html |title=The National's new album review: Sleep Well Beast paints a painful break-up so that you might avoid one |work=The Independent |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=September 10, 2017 |last=Hooton |first=Christopher}}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Coming clean |journal=Mojo |issue=287 |date=October 2017 |last=Barnes |first=Mike |page=90}}

| rev6 = NME

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/the-national-sleep-well-beast-review-2134628 |title=The National – 'Sleep Well Beast' Review |journal=NME |date=September 6, 2017 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |last=Parkinson |first=Hannah Jane}}

| rev7 = Pitchfork

| rev7score = 8.0/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-national-sleep-well-beast/ |title=The National: Sleep Well Beast |work=Pitchfork |date=September 8, 2017 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |last=Greene |first=Jayson}}

| rev8 = Q

| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Public Relations |journal=Q |issue=377 |date=October 2017 |last=Segal |first=Victoria |page=109}}

| rev9 = Rolling Stone

| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/review-the-nationals-sleep-well-beast-w501686/ |title=Review: The National's Best LP Yet Haunted by Mordant Beauty, Rattled Paranoia |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 7, 2017 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes}}

| rev10 = Vice (Expert Witness)

| rev10score = A−{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/robert-christgau-on-matt-berningers-depressive-tendencies/ |title=Robert Christgau on Matt Berninger's Depressive Tendencies |department=Noisey|magazine=Vice |date=November 18, 2017 |access-date=November 18, 2017 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}

}}

Sleep Well Beast received widespread acclaim from music critics. On Metacritic, which assigns an average score out of 100 to reviews and ratings from mainstream music critics, the album received an average score of 85 based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

In The Observer, Kitty Empire described Sleep Well Beast as an exponent of "the tension created by the hyper-musical brother duos, pacing the cage of what 'rock band' means with increased vigour. It often adds up to a subtle, grown-up take that still leaves space for drama."{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/10/the-national-sleep-well-beast-review |title=The National: Sleep Well Beast review – a study in midlife angst |work=The Observer |date=September 10, 2017 |access-date=September 10, 2017 |last=Empire |first=Kitty |author-link=Kitty Empire |issn=0261-3077}}

All lyrics and melodies written by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser; all music composed by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner; except where noted.

{{Track listing

| title1 = Nobody Else Will Be There

| length1 = 4:39

| title2 = Day I Die

| note2 = composed by The National

| length2 = 4:31

| title3 = Walk It Back

| note3 = includes an excerpt from the article "[https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/faith-certainty-and-the-presidency-of-george-w-bush.html Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush]" by Ron Suskind, first published in The New York Times

| length3 = 5:59

| title4 = The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

| length4 = 3:56

| title5 = Born to Beg

| length5 = 4:22

| title6 = Turtleneck

| length6 = 3:00

| title7 = Empire Line

| length7 = 5:23

| title8 = I'll Still Destroy You

| length8 = 5:15

| title9 = Guilty Party

| length9 = 5:38

| title10 = Carin at the Liquor Store

| length10 = 3:33

| title11 = Dark Side of the Gym

| length11 = 4:50

| title12 = Sleep Well Beast

| length12 = 6:31

| total_length = 57:32

}}

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The National

• Matt Berninger
• Aaron Dessner
• Bryce Dessner
• Bryan Devendorf
• Scott Devendorf
• Benjamin Lanz – touring musician
• Kyle Resnick – touring musician

Music

• The National – arrangement, performance
• Aaron Dessner – drum programming
• Bryce Dessner – drum programming
• Bryan Devendorf – drum programming
• Maaike van der Linde – additional orchestration {{small|(track 12)}}

Additional musicians

• Benjamin Lanz – trombone, synth
• Kyle Resnick – trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
• Lisa Hannigan – vocals
• Arone Dyer – vocals
• Justin Vernon – synths, vocals
• Andi Toma – keyboards, audio processing
• Jan St. Werner – keyboards, audio processing
• Maaike van der Linde – bass flute, flute
• Romain Bly – horn
• Thomas Bartlett – keyboards
• Jason Treuting – drums, percussion
• Eric Cha-Beach – drums, percussion
• Nick Lloyd – organ
• Ryan Olson – audio processing
• Erwan Castex – keyboards, electronic percussion
• Alexander Ridha – electronic percussion
• David Chalmin – drum processing
• James McAlister – drum programming
• Josh Kaufman – guitar
• Katia Labèque – piano
• Walter Martin – Vox Continental Organ

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Paris orchestral sessions ensemble

• Charlotte Juillard – violin
• Domitille Gilon – violin
• Nikolai Spassov – violin
• Marc Desjardins – violin
• Ariadna Teyssier – violin
• Leslie Boulin Raulet – violin
• Matthias Piccin – violin
• Pauline Hauswirth – violin
• Emilie Duch-Sauzeau – violin
• Sarah Chenaf – viola
• Marine Gandon – viola
• Benachir Boukhatem – viola
• Juliette Salmona – cello
• Barbara Le Liepvre – cello
• Ella Jarrige – cello
• Thomas Garoche – basses
• Grégoire Dubruel – basses
• Louise Lapierre – bassoon
• Emma Landarrabilco – flute
• Bastien Nouri – oboe
• Renaud Guy–Rousseau – clarinet
• Cédric Bonnet – horn

Production

• Aaron Dessner – production; additional recording
• Bryce Dessner – orchestration, co-production {{small|(all tracks)}}
• Matt Berninger – co-production {{small|(tracks 4, 6, 9)}}
• Peter Katis – additional production {{small|(tracks 2, 4)}}; mixing
• Jonathan Low – recording, additional mixing
• David Chalman – recording {{small|(Paris orchestral sessions)}}
• Sean O'Brien – recording {{small|(Los Angeles vocal sessions)}}
• Jan St. Werner – additional recording
• Andi Toma – additional recording
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Steve Fallone – co-mastering

Artwork

• Graham MacIndoe – album photography
• Luke Hayman – design
• Andrea Trabucco-Campos – design
• Elaynna Blaser-Gould – design

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{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=The National|title=Sleep Well Beast|award=Silver|relyear=2017|certyear=2019|accessdate=October 1, 2019|id=15900-2351-2}}

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{{The National}}

{{Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album}}

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Category:2017 albums

Category:The National (band) albums

Category:4AD albums

Category:Albums produced by Aaron Dessner

Category:Albums produced by Peter Katis

Category:Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album

Category:Albums produced by Bryce Dessner