The uberverdict: The National - ‘BOXER’

'Boxer' is the 4th studio album from Brooklyn-based band The National; one of the most underrated acts since the brilliant sophomore effort 'Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers' was released in 2003 (once described as a “gorgeous train wreck”). However it was 2005’s superb ‘Alligator’ that elevated the band to an unexpected level of prominence within music circles. The bands rise towards critical acclaim was slow and gradual. In fact this is the first release from The National that actually has some hype surrounding it - and for once - it can be believed.

'Boxer' punches above its weight during every round of the fight. The opening track 'Fake Empire' is a strange opener. Whilst it creates a beautiful but melancholic mood the self-depreciating message sets a depressing tone to the album. Its underlying political message "Turn the light out, say goodnight, no thinking for a little while. Let's not try to figure out everything at once. We'll laugh away in a fake empire, we're half awake in a fake empire." reflects the unwavering failure and paper-over-the-cracks attitude of the establishment. Heavy use of horns as the track climaxes and the carefully crafted use of Bryan Devendorf's snare throughout give it a presidentially processional, almost funereal pace. Steeped in official grandness, like the signed and sealed envelope that hits the mat containing a court summons, like taking a deep breath of nicotine after hearing bad news - its stifling.

This processional and presidential nature comes again shortly after on "Squalor Victoria". Soaked in heavy strings, pianos and a drum line straight from a military march. "Under and everything I’m a professional in a beloved white shirt. I’m going down among the saints... raise our heavenly glasses to the herds".

The first single from the album “Mistaken For Stangers” touches on underlying sinister subject matter. “Showered and blue blazer-ed, fill yourself with quarters... you get mistaken for strangers by your own friends, when you’re passing the night under the silvery city bank lights... But you wouldn’t want an angel watching over, surprise, surprise they wouldn’t want to watch”. It thunders along brashly and embodies all the elements we have grown to love about The National – Devendorf working the complex drum lines, Bryce Dessner and brother Aaron creating peaking, sparkling and shifting guitar lines and sitting amongst it all ‘that’ voice of Matt Berninger.

At this point it would be only right to address frontman Matt Berninger's morose baritone which, undeniably, is what has always made The National an instantly recognisable sound. But with ‘Boxer’ such analysis is best performed in conjunction with the backing music showcasing it. Unlike the previous three releases, the bands music and Berninger's vocal match perfectly here. Berninger never has to strain. He never has to raise his tone above his comfort level. They compliment one another like matching colours. The masterfully simple but intricate and regularly distorted-in-parts guitars of the Dessner brothers that created the staple diet of 'Alligator' feature less on The Boxer as the bands direction largely turns away from stompers like 'Abel'. Think more strings, pianos, organs and horns. This is what makes 'Boxer' such a complete and integrated piece of work. The band are really playing their best hand - and its lovely to hear.

Berninger's lyrical content remains peculiar and distinct and the imagery he coungers from his magician's hat is as vivid as ever. The social paranoia suffered waiting for his 'Ada' - "Stand inside an empty tuxedo with grapes in my mouth waiting for Ada" to the dejected need Berninger displays in waiting for this mythical partner in ‘Slow Show’ - "I want to hurry home to you, put on a slow show for you, crack you up... I’m very frightened I’ll over do it... You know I dreamed about you for 29 years before I saw you... I missed you for 29 years”. The lyrical content is clearly very personal in the track and his voice sits almost inaudibly in the mix. It’s the sound of a broken man on the brink of tears, so lonely, clutching for any piece of light at the end of his tunnel.

‘Green Gloves’ sounds like a seriously disaffected and cold-blooded alcoholic paraphrasing about his self-depreciating and alienated life. “All out of touch with my friends who are all out getting wasted... take another sip and then its bolts around and takes me over like a little drop of ink in a glass of water.” Berninger is one of the best lyricists of the modern age, so vivid, so morose, so powerful, so essential. Now, where did I put that bottle of Jack Daniels?

Society’s seedy view of paying for sex, domination and bondage appear to be addressed in "Guest Room" - 'They’re gonna send us to prison for just, for having vague ideas of a way to turn each other on... we must be young roughians gone wild... in the corners of front yards, getting in and out of cars. Tie your woman to your wrists... they'll find us here, here in the guest room where we throw money at each other and cry, we can’t stay here, we can’t stay here this way". It’s an album brimming with interesting personal and social subject matter.

Many, myself included, would have said that 'Alligator' would have been hard to top, but as a piece of art 'Boxer' accomplishes this rare feat on a number of levels. It feels very different from ‘Alligator’ (not so much better, but) there’s a distinctly different spirit inside. Its a sullen, rain soaked, darker mood which hits you in a morose manner at first, but after spending some time inside ‘Boxer’, its not such a bad place to spend 43 minutes. Its effect is ultimately quite a life affirming and even uplifting one. Like watching a sunrise on an icy winter morning: the harshness of the elements pound at your face numbing your jaw but once the sun has appeared, you thaw out and realise the beauty that is evident in the nature around you. Understandably, after the success of 'Alligator', the albums production quality is also far superior and has great depth. The band have used the new instruments and musician’s available to them to expand their sound whilst keeping it as simple as they have always done.

The National are a band that have grown organically over time and improved with every album. They are a band that, like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, like Tindersticks, reward attentive listening. They write songs you will fall in love with. In this modern age of young oiks and throwaway acts The National stick out. Like a fine malt liquor among a world of own brand lager. This album won't be in the charts, this album won't go platinum, this album won't have a multi-million pound marketing budget behind it but unlike most of the albums this year that will, ‘Boxer’ will hold a special place in the hearts of true music fans for many years to come. In 2005 ‘Alligator’ ended the year topping best album lists both sides of the Atlantic. In 2007 ‘Boxer’ has already topped my list for the first half of the year. Expect it to stick around into December.

uberverdict: 9.5/10


‘Boxer’ by The National is released on May 21st on Beggars.
The first single ‘Mistaken For Strangers’ is out NOW.

MP3 download:
The National - Fake Empire [From 'Boxer' 21st May on Beggars]

iPod Video download:
The National - Start a War [From Take Away Show by Vincent Moon]