The National - Boxer
Keeping faithful to my posting style (and probably music listening), it wasn’t until recently that I finally discovered another band to accompany my moody depressing times (with the other band being obviously Tindersticks). The National are a five-piece band from Ohio, although looking at their pictures and listening to their music you could easily mistaken them for a British band, writing their lyrics while spending most of their times down at the local pub.The National made their debut back in 2001 with their self-titled album and ever since have kept their sound mostly unchanged. Poetic lyrics, finely orchestrated music that spans from dark pop to indie and mood that reminds the best of breed from bands like Joy Division, Tindersticks, Bad Seeds, Leonard Cohen and even Interpol (at least in their latest album). All of their albums have been a real treat to listen over and over again, deserving (and demanding) multiple listening before you really are drawn into their sound.
Boxer is their last album (released back in 2007). I was listening to it for the last week and I’m pretty sure I’ll keep on coming back to it for quite sometime. It was constantly playing in my car's cd-player while driving back yesterday night at pitch dark roads and it proved an absolutely warmth and conforming companion, with tracks that urge you to keep on driving away from everything that makes you miserable.
Boxer had definitely a more indie sound than their previous albums, retaining their unique style that has accompanied them from their beginning. Berninger’s voice is haunting as ever, Dessner and Scott Devendorf pinch in with their guitars in just the right places, Aaron sets the mood with his bass and Bryan Devendorf gives a Joy Division element with his drums. Newsome’s production has added some more strings and brass, giving them an ever more Tinderstick orchestration (from the old good Curtains period). This is champer pop at its best…
The first three songs of the album are my favorites, with Fake Empire slowly changing to joyful brass explosion, Mistaken for Strangers rocking it the National way (reminding me how all Interpol songs should sound like) and Brainy starts off with Joy Division’s classic drum beat before entering Tindersticks territory. Amazing stuff..
Boxer is their last album (released back in 2007). I was listening to it for the last week and I’m pretty sure I’ll keep on coming back to it for quite sometime. It was constantly playing in my car's cd-player while driving back yesterday night at pitch dark roads and it proved an absolutely warmth and conforming companion, with tracks that urge you to keep on driving away from everything that makes you miserable.Boxer had definitely a more indie sound than their previous albums, retaining their unique style that has accompanied them from their beginning. Berninger’s voice is haunting as ever, Dessner and Scott Devendorf pinch in with their guitars in just the right places, Aaron sets the mood with his bass and Bryan Devendorf gives a Joy Division element with his drums. Newsome’s production has added some more strings and brass, giving them an ever more Tinderstick orchestration (from the old good Curtains period). This is champer pop at its best…
The first three songs of the album are my favorites, with Fake Empire slowly changing to joyful brass explosion, Mistaken for Strangers rocking it the National way (reminding me how all Interpol songs should sound like) and Brainy starts off with Joy Division’s classic drum beat before entering Tindersticks territory. Amazing stuff..
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