The National announce new album Sleep Well Beast, tour and release new song 'The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness'

The follow-up to 2017's Trouble Will Find Me

Following a cryptic breaking new ticker teaser, The National have announced details of their seventh studio album, Sleep Well Beast.

Set to be released on 8 September, the LP consists of 12 tracks and was produced Aaron Dessner with co-production from fellow band members Bryce Dessner and Matt Berninger at Long Pond studio in Hudson Valley, New York.

The track titles are dark, including 'I'll Still Destroy You' and 'Day I Die'. Some also suggest a political tinge, like 'Empire Line' and 'The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness'.

The latter was released today along with a music video directed by Casey Reas.

It is fairly upbeat by The National's standards, though frontman Matt Berninger laments: "We said we’d only die of lonely secrets" in the verse.

Track list:

1 Nobody Else Will Be There

2 Day I Die

3 Walk It Back

4 The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

5 Born to Beg

6 Turtleneck

7 Empire Line

8 I’ll Still Destroy You

9 Guilty Party

10 Carin at the Liquor Store

11 Dark Side of the Gym

12 Sleep Well Beast

World tour:

23-25/06/17 - Glastonbury Festival - Glastonbury, UK

12/08/17 - HAVEN Festival - Copenhagen, DENMARK

16/09/17 - Cork Opera House / Sounds From a Safe Harbour - Cork, IRELAND

17/09/17 - Vicar Street - Dublin, IRELAND

18/09/17 - Vicar Street - Dublin, IRELAND

20/09/17 - Usher Hall - Edinburgh, UK

21/09/17 - Usher Hall - Edinburgh, UK

22/09/17 - O2 Apollo - Manchester, UK

23/09/17 - O2 Apollo - Manchester, UK

25/09/17 - Eventim Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK

26/09/17 - Eventim Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK

27/09/17 - Eventim Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK

28/09/17 - Eventim Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK

05/10/17 - Wang Theatre - Boston, MA, USA

06/10/17 - Forest Hills Stadium - New York, NY, USA

11/10/17 - Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles, CA, USA

12/10/17 - CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre - San Diego, CA, USA

14/10/17 - Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA, USA

21/10/17 - Elbphilharmonie - Hamburg, GERMANY

23/10/17 - Tempodrom - Berlin, GERMANY

24/10/17 - Tempodrom - Berlin, GERMANY

25/10/17 - AFAS Live - Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS

28/10/17 - Coliseum - Lisbon, PORTUGAL

30/10/17 – Palais des Beaux-Arts - Brussels, BELGIUM

31/10/17 – Palais des Beaux-Arts - Brussels, BELGIUM

02-04/11/17 – Pitchfork Paris, Paris, FRANCE

04/11/17 - Annexet - Stockholm, SWEDEN

05/11/17 - Annexet - Stockholm, SWEDEN

06/11/17 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, NORWAY

07/11/17 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, NORWAY

27/11/17 - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - Portland, OR, USA

28/11/17 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA, USA

29/11/17 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA, USA

01/12/17 - Queen Elizabeth Theatre - Vancouver BC, CANADA

02/12/17 - Queen Elizabeth Theatre - Vancouver BC, CANADA

04/12/17 - Verizon Hall - Philadelphia, PA, USA

07/12/17 - Metropolis - Montreal QC, CANADA

08/12/17 - Metropolis - Montreal QC, CANADA

09/12/17 - Sony Centre - Toronto ON, CANADA

10/12/17 - Hamilton Place Theatre - Hamilton ON, CANADA

12/12/17 - Civic Opera House - Chicago, IL, USA

13/12/17 - Civic Opera House - Chicago, IL, USA