"Boxer" by The National

Fresh off my list of the Top Albums of 2010 is The National! No, the album isn't "High Violet." Actually, it's "Boxer," which I enjoyed more than HV. This was the first I had ever heard of The National, and after I heard the album for the first time, I listened to it on repeat at least five times over the next week. I had never heard anything QUITE like it. Namely, because of the lead singer's baritone, a tone that oozes melancholy and a deadpan sort of humor. In fact, he serves as the main instrument on the album; there are no big electronic guitar riffs to spek of; everything is there to support the vocals. The album artwork is one of those that doesn't really say anything about the album except that there is a vintage feel to the music, so here we go!

1. "Fake Empire" - This song sounds a bit like a dream - which I think is what the song itself is about. It is also my favorite song on the album, by far. Piano sets the stage for the song and they remain a huge part of the song throughout its entirety, which features lyrics about whimsy - "picking apples, making pies," and "tiptoe through our shiny city with our diamond slippers on." All this culminates in the final lines of each verse: "We're half awake in a fake empire." There is also an outstanding instrumental section during the song that made me all sorts of happy.

2. "Mistaken for Strangers" - This song has a sense of quiet urgency to it, of shadyness and shadow. Guitars set the scene with raw, grimy sounds at the beginning of the song, and that feel carries through the rest of the song. The subject of the song keeps himself at a distance from all those around him, only wanting to be in pictures if he seems far away. In fact, he is mistaken for strangers by his own friends (cue the "Hey, that's the title!" music). While the lyrics are interesting, this is one of my least favorite songs on the album.

3. "Brainy" - It would appear that the narrator of this song is whipped: "I've been dragging around from the end of your coat for two weeks." A moment of silence, please.... thank you. However, to our guy's credit, he has a good attitude about his girl, who seems to take him for granted. He tells her with a sort of wry sense of humor and determination, "You might need me more than you think you will." The melody of the chorus mirrors this sort of wry humor, making the song pretty enjoyable. Like many songs on the album, drums provide a solid and groove-friendly pulse, with guitars serving as accent pieces.

4. "Squalor Victoria" - Let me begin by saying the title of this song is just plain cool. That being said, there's not a whole lot to the lyrics of this song. Drums kick it off before being joined by cello (yay!) and piano. That simple feel keeps going through the whole song, and what can I say, I love me some cello and piano. The narrator repeats a few phrases setting the stage that he is trying to appear as a member of a higher quality than he is. The final line of the song confirms this: "This isn't working, you, my middlebrow fuck-up." That made me chuckle. Plus five points for sarcastic lyrics.

5. "Green Gloves" - Continuing with the unique premises of these songs, "Green Gloves," as much as I can interpret it, is about a man who loses his friends to drugs - they are no longer themselves. So, he appears to take their lives upon himself and inserts himself into what they would otherwise be doing. It's a weird, almost dystopian song, but I love it. Acoustic guitar provides a refreshing musical change of place; it is joined by electric guitar as well; they both provide an outstanding bed for the vocalist to work on.

6. "Slow Show" - This song is simple: it's about a man who has screwed up his relationship and wants it back. The narrator has "made a mistake in [his] life today," which I presume has something to do with his love in the song. He is lost, and all he wants to do is go home to hear, "put on a slow, dumb show for you, and crack you up." This song is a great example of the sort of melancholy sense of humor that I wrote about earlier. The instrumentation and music of this song is perfect for the lyrics as well; you can just see this guy running down the sidewalk back home. Another one of my favorites.

7. "Apartment Story" - I dare say the couple in this song has had a bit to drink. The narrator sings of things he and his love do. They are "tired and wired," while they wait for winter to be over. They are hiding from the outside world (I'm thinking metaphorically) and he says that they'll "do whatever the TV tells us." An odd little song, and not one of my favorites.

8. "Start a War" - I really like this song, which essentially constitutes a warning from the narrator of the song to his girlfriend not to leave him: "Walk away now and you're gonna start a war." How charming. The couple is clearly disillusioned with how the relationship is going, but the narrator holds on to the grim determination that the relationship will fix itself and that "I'll get money, I'll get funny again." Ironically, the song's instrumentation is basically just an almost dainty acoustic guitar, joined later by strings and electric guitar; one of the best songs on the album (I have a feeling I've said this type of thing several times on this review, woops!).

9. "Guest Room" - To be honest, I can't say I completely understand the lyrics of this song (most of these songs don't really click the first time through, but I've never really gotten a hold of this one). It seems that a couple has basically lost it, neither of them are completely right in the head, and they're hiding in a guest room, where they are convinced people will eventually find them and take them away. I said I loved the album, I didn't say I loved every song.

10. "Racing Like A Pro" - Another great song. This time, the lyrics are about a young, middle class woman who is stuck in the same old, middle class routine. Her body does all the same things - sometimes she bakes a cake, sometimes she stays in bed. However, he mind longs to get out of her situation - "you're mind is racing like a pro." Another dystopian song, as this one reminds me of the Stepford Wives. Again, acoustic guitars provide an amazing bed of sound, with strings and piano playing a supporting role. Just plain outstanding.

11. "Ada" - In another song about a disturbed woman, "Ada" is a lady who doesn't want to tackle any issues around her. She appears to be paranoid, maybe even insane (whoever writes the lyrics must have dated some doozies for the inspiration for these songs). She refuses to talk about things that bother her, despite the narrator's urgings: "Ada, don't talk about reasons about why you don't wanna talk about reasons why you don't wanna talk." The music, once again, perfectly mirrors the lyrics, with piano and guitar creating a troubled musical atmosphere; it's almost shifty. You can imagine Ada looking around her for something that isn't quite there.

12. "Gospel" - Another one of my favorite songs on the album, and probably the sweetest. The narrator wants to do anything he can do to spend time with his love, from bringing over magazines to hanging her holiday lights in the garden (appropriate timing much?). He sums it up by saying, "Let me come over, I can waste your time, I'm bored." This song features some of my favorite music as well, with acoustic guitar and piano creating a musical atmosphere that is both simple and absolutely beautiful.

The National is a band with a very unique sound - the frontman's voice is not for everyone. In fact, it took me a couple listens to really get used to the tone of the voice and to completely understand what he was saying. However, if you take the time to get used to his voice, it allows you to really listen to all the great melodic things going on in this album. Instrumentation that creates wonderful beds of sound, outstanding drums, and an all-around classic, antique-like sound. "High Violet" is a great album as well--a little more accessible and contemporary. For me though, "Boxer" will always be the quintessential album by The National.

Here's a link to their Myspace!

http://www.myspace.com/thenational

Until next time, enjoy some music :)