The Alcott

"The Alcott" is a song by American band the National featuring American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song appears on the band's album First Two Pages of Frankenstein (2023), and it was released as a single on April 28, 2023. It is a downtempo ballad with prominent piano. It was produced at Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley.

Music and lyrics
Produced at Long Pond studio in Hudson Valley, "The Alcott" is a downtempo ballad. It incorporates prominent piano in its production. Andrew Trendell of NME described the song as "arena-ready lighters-up". Pitchfork critic Brad Shoup found the track to feature a "subliminal industrial rapping". Towards the end, Swift performs with her solo vocals.

Reception
In Clash, James Mellen picked "The Alcott" as a "truly stunning" track that showcases Swift's "immaculate" vocals and Berninger's "universal" performance. In a mixed review, Shoup found the track to be mostly of Swift's artistry and labelled it "the National (Taylor's Version)", and wrote: "The mess is there, just not the chaos."