{"product_id":"national-average","title":"National Average","description":"\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/browse\/albums-of-the-year-2025\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlbums of the Year 2025: #85\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe journey \u003cstrong\u003eBig Special\u003c\/strong\u003e have been on is one of the key stories told by their second album, \u003cem\u003eNational Average\u003c\/em\u003e. Trust \u003cstrong\u003eBig Special\u003c\/strong\u003e to invest those stories with wisdom, insight, and the most absolute humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese might be their stories, but the lessons speak to us all. So \u003cem\u003eNational Average\u003c\/em\u003e reflects the world as it is, as \u003cstrong\u003eBig Special\u003c\/strong\u003e have seen it while grinding around the nation and screaming their poetry at the people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe album also registers how their own lives, their own world has changed, and what that means. With characteristic \u003cstrong\u003eBig Special\u003c\/strong\u003e flair, the darkness is leavened by more than a ladle-full of the blackest humor. But the upbeats are easily matched by the album’s downbeats, the album’s emotional shifts more crafted than on the debut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"The first half of the album is about ambition – you can hear the confidence of it, even a little bit of sleaze,\"\u003c\/em\u003e says Hicklin. \u003cem\u003e\"The second half is about reflecting on what’s happened, how everything’s changed. You’ve got to be honest with the darkness.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Personal World Record","offers":[{"title":"LP - Colour in Colour White on Transparent Clear \/ Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":52521673228619,"sku":"R3584-1275","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - White","offer_id":52521673195851,"sku":"R3584-6253","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":52521673163083,"sku":"R3584-4639","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52535649272139,"sku":"R3584-3757","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/BIGSPECIAL-NATIONALAVERAGE.-SOAKLP610-Packshot_1.jpg?v=1750951038","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/national-average","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}