"Space Invader" is a seven-minute song that reflects regrets and builds to an intense instrumental climax.
The National vocalist Matt Berninger's lyrical journey kicks off over a backdrop of gentle guitar and piano notes. He botches a conversation and knows right away it'll gnaw at him, maybe all night, perhaps his whole life. The wrong calculation, a blundered line, a thought he shouldn't have voiced.
It'll come to me later like a space invader
And I won't be able to get it out of my head
Berninger draws a parallel between the intrusive thoughts infiltrating his mind and the sudden, uninformed arrival of a space invader on a planet.
The chorus ignites a whirlwind, Berninger's mind racing through alternate realities that might've spared him from his current plight. What if he'd never written the letter he slipped into the sleeve of the record he gave her? What if he'd ridden the C Train to Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn's Fort Greene district instead of hopping off early?
The second verse is a confession, a raw acknowledgment of a relationship that's both breathtakingly beautiful and tragically doomed. A stormy mix of romantic intensity and melancholic frenzy, like a paperback novel abandoned in a storm drain.
Just shy of the four-minute mark, there's a beat switch, mirroring Berninger's own turmoil. The music becomes more urgent, reflecting his restless heart. Wide awake, he melts down, akin to the "software gore."
Quarter after four in the morning
My heart's software gore
"Software gore" is a term used to describe software that malfunctions in a way that is beyond its normal operation. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as bugs, errors, or unexpected inputs. Berninger's heart is glitching in the same way.
"Space Invader" was released as a single alongside "Alphabet City" on August 17, 2023. It became The National's longest recorded track, clocking in at 6:58, usurping their 2019 cut "Not In Kansas," which runs 6:44.
When The National unveiled their surprise second album of 2023, Laugh Track, on September 18, 2023, "Space Invader" was included on it. But it isn't the lengthiest track on the album; the closing track, "Smoke Detector," runs 7:47, making it The National's new longest track.
The National first performed "Space Invader" live at the Newport Folk Festival on July 22, 2022. Fans had to wait until May 19, 2023 for its second outing when they played it in Chicago.
Matt Berninger and his sibling bandmates Aaron and Bryce Dessner wrote "Space Invader." Tucker Martine, the husband and producer of singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, co-produced the song with The National. Martine has worked with many other artists, including The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, and Modest Mouse.
The song features strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra. The British orchestra is known for its experimental and innovative approach to music. They have collaborated with several other rock groups, including Radiohead ("
Glass Eyes "), The Smile ("
Free In The Knowledge") and Sigur Ros ("
Blóðberg"). They previously collaborated with The National on the band's 2022 single "
Weird Goodbyes" and their
First Two Pages of Frankenstein album.
The rave-up at the end of the song wouldn't have happened during lockdown. "The whole ending of 'Space Invader' came from being back together with a band live," Berninger
explained to David Letterman. "The alchemy of the band started coming back finally by being out there on the road."
