Funny how a band that not many people are aware of, or are particularly interested in, can play the odd festival date, have a track or too played on 6 music that suddenly strikes a chord with a select few and before you know it there’s a distinctive buzz carried by word of mouth. Subsequently, what was once a low key tour becomes a sold out affair. Well this is pretty much what’s happened to Ohio’s The National.

Already three albums down the road they know their trade, but the U.K has only just sampled the goods, as Beggars Banquet saw the sense to put out, ‘Alligator’, this summer. An album that has silently crept its way into the critic’s end of year polls without anyone realising. Tonight the band appear to be as baffled but clearly as overjoyed as I am over what has been a sudden ascension into the popularity stakes.

The practically sold out venue enthusiastically receives the over awed five piece as they take to the stage, instantly launching into the subliminally catchy, ‘Secret Meeting. They have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands immediately and rightly so, for they are perhaps one of few U.S imports to actually deserve the adoration from indie rocks elite. They perform some of ‘Alligators’ already established classics, the recent buoyant anthem, ‘Lit Up’, and the sly nod to Frank Black, ‘Abel’ that is tonight’s evident crowd pleaser.

Perhaps more notably gratifying for them is that their previous two albums that haven’t been commercially available in the U.K are lapped up with an insatiable thirst from tonight’s dedicated audience. So much so they sell out of all the stock from the merchandising stall. Now you don’t see that happen often in Leeds, and by the time they’ve delivered ‘Alligators’ closing track, ‘Mr November’, complete with the brilliantly catchy repeated line, ‘I used to be carried in the arms of Cheerleaders, I’m acutely aware of this bands brilliance. This ain’t no flash in the pan. The National may not be spring chickens but their evident musical and worldly experience sparks originality with every riff and lyric, making them so now. This is just the beginning boys.

10/10

James Heward