The National Health

by Maxïmo Park

Maxïmo Park’s The National Health is an album that kicks off with incredible energy and intention. The opening tracks, like the title track and “Hips and Lips,” burst with the urgency and sharpness we know and love from the band. They manage to channel a sense of chaos and commentary on the modern world while still keeping things irresistibly catchy. It’s the kind of start that makes you think, “This is why I keep coming back to Maxïmo Park.”

However, as the album progresses, it loses some of that spark. The later tracks, while still solid, don’t quite reach the heights of the first half. In a way, it feels like a metaphor for the band’s trajectory—a career that began with a bang but found it harder to maintain that same level of impact as time went on.

I had tickets for their current Stream of Life show, and while I couldn’t attend, it did leave me a bit sad. That said, it wasn’t the kind of heartbreak that some albums have caused me, where I’ve been am Boden zerstört. And maybe that’s the defining line between “nice” and “stunning.” The National Health falls into the former category for me: a strong, enjoyable listen, even if it doesn’t quite take my breath away. It’s a reminder of what makes Maxïmo Park such a likable band, even when they don’t fully reach their earlier brilliance.