After a four-year break between albums, The National rises like a mythical phoenix with the Sep. 8 release of “Sleep Well Beast,” their seventh studio album. The new installment from The National is powerful, beautiful and haunting, all in one.

These heroes of Americana have come back as strong as ever with an album of pulsating tones, experimental elements and deep heartache over current events and the struggles of long-standing relationships.

“Sleep Well Beast” is a turn in The National’s sound and style, while still holding true to their previous works in a way that will delight fans of their 17-year career. A constant theme in The National’s work is the idea of fighting internal demons, and “Sleep Well Beast” confronts these demons more directly than ever before, with lyrics that speak to lead singer Matt Berninger’s struggles.

Berninger co-wrote “Sleep Well Beast” with his wife, Carin Besser, allowing them to talk about the struggles in a long-term relationship and the terrifying questions in marriage.

The opening track, “Nobody Else Will Be There,” draws the listener in slowly with an echoing electronic drum beat and soft piano rift, as Berninger’s deep voice crows, “You said we’re not so tied together, what did you mean? Meet me in the stairwell in a second for a glass of gin, nobody else will be there then.”

Berninger and Besser confront the issues in their relationship more directly on the album’s ninth track, “Guilty Party,” wherein they imagine conversations which would end their marriage. Berninger’s voice is almost lost among the music through the verses, only rising above it in the chorus.

“Another summer gets away, another summer of love. I don’t know why I care, we miss it every summer,” Berninger sings before the chorus. “I say your name. I say I’m sorry. I’m the one doing this, there’s no other way. It’s nobody’s fault, there’s no guilty party. We just got nothin’, nothin’ left to say.”

While much of the album’s content focuses on relationships, “Sleep Well Beast” also makes commentary on current events. Never afraid to get political, the lead single “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” comes out roaring with an intense, rock ‘n’ roll lead guitar that will resonate with fans of “Mistaken for Strangers” from 2007’s “Boxer.”

“That one’s less about relationships than it is more of the strange way our world and our idea of identity mutates—sometimes overnight, as we’ve seen recently,” Berninger said of the single in a May 11 interview with Pitchfork.com. “It’s an abstract portrait of a weird time we’re in.”

“Turtleneck” is another politically fueled track which Berninger described as his physical reaction to Donald Trump being elected President.

“Keep the weed next to the bed, light the water, check for lead,” sings Berninger, “Dim the lights a little lower. Hide your backbone, shrug your shoulders.”

The music is chaotic, constantly building over intense percussion and methodical synthesizers.

Guitarist Aaron Dessner was given the reigns to produce “Sleep Well Beast” and he does not disappoint. The musical elements are stunning, perfectly blending The National’s signature melancholic Americana with newer electronic and production elements to complement the emotions perfectly. The National are methodical and their skill comes through more than ever on this album.

It is as though Berninger is truly living with and fighting among his demons instead of running from them on this album. The National confronts their issues in the powerful and hauntingly beautiful melodies of “Sleep Well Beast,” further solidifying their legacy of poignant melancholy perfect for our time.