Artist: The National

Album: “Boxer”

Release date: May 22, 2007

Label: Beggars Banquet

Availability: CD, iTunes

You may be drawn in by the innovative drumming or by Matt Berninger’s smooth, baritone crooning, but each track on “Boxer” has a lot to offer on its own. The tight, booming drums mix together with Berninger’s voice against sparse, light arrangements and instrumentation to create a unique sound that belongs only to The National. Subtlety is one of The Nationals’ greatest strengths. In fact, there is enough going on here that they could be missed if you aren’t paying attention. Many of the tracks on “Boxer” have orchestral arrangements that, instead of weaving grandiose, pompous stanzas, paint small musical flourishes that add to the texture of the overall song. Lyrically, the album is also a gem, although again it may take multiple listens to understand the depth of some of the songs here. For example, “Mistaken for Strangers” includes some instantly likeable lyrics that, upon reflection, are actually quite insightful: “You wouldn’t want an angel watching over/ Surprise, surprise, they wouldn’t want to watch/ Another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults.” If “Boxer” has any large fault, it’s that it lacks any high-energy, pop tunes such as “Abel” or “Mr. November” from The National’s previous release. Obviously, “Boxer” was chosen to be a much more relaxed affair, and while tracks such as these are missed, they are not crucial to the album’s success.