i have this theory about why certain music just appeals to certain people. some of you have probably heard me discuss this, as i tend to wax eloquent about it in altered states, but once more for posterity…so the neurons in our brains are always pulsing and vibrating and putting off energy, right? we are all broadcasting brainwaves on our own unique frequency. and i think that when we hear music that resonates on the same frequency, it is instantly both familiar and intriguing to us. that’s why sometimes you can hear something brand new and it instantly just feels right, feels like it couldn’t possibly sound any other way.

yeah, i quite realize that what i just wrote makes me sound like one of those crazies who wears a little tinfoil hat to keep out the evil rays and that this is supposed to be a music review, not a soliloquy about my weird synesthetic theories. so let me get to the point: it is hard for me to be objective about this album because the national is the closest thing i have ever heard to what i imagine the inside of my brain to look like.  when their 2005 release alligator came out, i was living in the czech republic, having simultaneously both the best and loneliest times of my life. i bought it from emusic based on blog buzz and from song one it hit me instantly that i had found the perfect soundtrack for my existence. and since then, i have been waiting with impatience and trepidation for their next release, both anxious to hear it and at the same time worried that they couldn’t possibly top or even match alligator, an album that easily won a coveted place on joie’s list of top 5 best releases for that year.

well, boxer is that next release and it doesn’t disappoint, folks, oh no it doesn’t. and i say this even though there is no screaming on it, and the screaming was one of my favourite things about alligator. from the first song “fake empire” (hear it on their myspace page), which builds and blends almost unobtrusively, to my favourite, the very romantic “slow show,” this album is the perfect concoction of shadowy textures and odd melodies and the kind of lyrics you might find on bathroom walls in very eloquent parts of dark sophisticated cities. it has a very interpol flavour to it on some tracks (”mistaken for strangers”) but the same kind of understated romantic creepiness (”think i better follow you around/you might need me more than you think you will”) that makes the national so unique. each song is almost voyeuristic, like a brief glimpse into the vaguely disturbing thoughts of the people sharing your train car. or into my brain. or something.

anyway, similarities aside, boxer is definitely no alligator 2.0 - i admit to some early fears that a new album lacking the angry arrogance of a “mr. november” or the paranoia of a “secret meeting” would maybe seem a bit bland, but i can report with relief that is not the case and that boxer holds up well as a separate beast. matt berninger’s blurred baritone voice is softer this time around, still a bit desperate and raw, yet more polished. boxer flows better too - it seems more balanced and doesn’t jump from extreme to extreme like the national’s earlier stuff. it still has that spare piano but also more brass and violins and strings and stuff, composed by longtime collaborator padma newsome of clogs fame.

indie it-kid sufjan stevens makes a few appearances on a couple tracks (”ada”, “racing like a pro”), but what really saves boxer from vanilla obscurity is the drumming. bryan devendorf is a genius, kids. that’s really the only way i can describe the weird syncopations and skips and rumbles that make every song on boxer just a little more interesting than it would be otherwise. i find myself hanging on each beat, knowing where he’s going but still not really believing that it will sound good. and it always does.

as much as boxer is growing on me with every listen, i can totally see how a lot of folks wouldn’t like this album. the energy is very low-key and under the surface, the lyrics are beautifully difficult (”you were always weird but i never had to hold you by the edges like i do now”) and the whole thing is very introspective and takes some work to assimilate. so if you’re a lazy-ass and like your music in shiny, easy-to-classify rock ‘n’ roll packages, i would suggest going elsewhere to get your fix. however, even if this doesn’t resonate on your exact brain frequency like it does mine, i think it is worth any effort you put into it. the fake jewels may be big and shiny but only the real ones have fire on the inside, if you know what i mean. i know you do.

Release date: may 22, 2007
Label: beggar’s banquet
Rating: 10/10

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