Boxer (6/33)

Boxer by The National
2007

Standout tracks: Fake Empire, Apartment Story, Brainy

Turn the light out, say goodnight
No thinking for a little while
Let's not try to figure out everything at once!

1 minute and 43 seconds into opener 'Fake Empire' and I already wanted to skip back and hear it again. The song comes together and sets up the album perfectly; it's the band that made the exceptional 'Alligator' and they've scrubbed up a bit!

Thankfully, the extra spit and polish hasn't taken anything away. The occasional screams that lit up songs like 'Available' and 'Abel' are gone, fair enough, but they're not missing. Matt Berninger's vocals still shine in their subdued, one-notch-above-a-mumble way. He twists words around music in a way that no one else does! In 'Mistaken For Strangers', amid rattling drums, he croons "Oh you wouldn't want an angel watching over you, surprise surprise they wouldn't want to watch another uninnocent elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults" it's unclear whether this is a sympathetic observation or a calm yet venomous attack, either way it's brilliant.

Musically, the drums sit high in the mix and drive the album, sometimes obviously 'Squalor Victoria', sometimes subtly 'Start A War'. The way the band fill the remaining space is another strength; every instrument weaving with and sparking off the other, without ego and without overcrowding.

The piano-led music that winds through the second half of 'Slow Show' is one of the most beautiful things The National, or any band, have ever done. 'Apartment Story' follows that with its come-to-dance beat, comforting lyrics and infectious melodies, creating the kind of "rosy-minded fuzz" the song itself speaks of.

I can write positive things about the album, picking out tracks and moments I like, but I can't describe what it is I love about The National! So, I'll end this just by saying 'Boxer' is an incredible piece of work. Really.