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Boxer
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0607618025229
Label: Beggars Banquet
Manufacturer: Beggars Banquet
MPN: 80252
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Beggars Banquet
Release Date: May 22, 2007
Studio: Beggars Banquet
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Editorial Review:
With Boxer, the National have reached four albums into their increasingly lauded career, never hurrying the tempo, never over-reaching in volume or instrumental density. Instead, the quintet's balanced on a pin, emotionally austere, if not utterly downhearted, finding brilliantly dusky ways for Matt Berninger's lovelorn voice to mesh with a pair of unobtrusive guitars and, here, an occasional phalanx of piano, horns, and strings. The tunes roll off slowly, Berninger's lyrics hugging the instruments with a sad brawn, rough-hewn as the drums and bass toy with angularity (try "Mistaken for Strangers," for one) but end up woven by that voice. Drummer Bryan Devendorf presses the songs forward repeatedly, as on "Start a War," where he gently thumps the time as the acoustic guitars frame and dot the melody, coalescing as the drums starkly chisel the melody. Nary a distortion pedal is harmed on Boxer, giving the National a magnetism so forlorn that you can't stop listening. --Andrew Bartlett
The follow-up to 2005's "Alligator" is filled with lush arrangements and sees the band incorporating new instrumentation and expanded musical elements such as piano, trumpet, and more prominent background vocals.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Boxer
The National-Boxer ****1/2
Matt Berninger, Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner, Bryan and Scott Devendorf have been slowly perfecting their sound over their past few albums, and with Boxer, I truly feel The Nation have hit on what it is they were aiming to achieve. Complexity meets minimalistic vocals and instrumentation and lyrics to create a feel more than a sound, and an atmosphere may be a better term.
Boxer is an album to get lost in, much like Miles Davis' Porgy and Bess. ... Read More
Rating:  - Good? Yes! Best? Not Nearly.
Three of the music magazines I read on a regular basis anointed Boxer as the best album of 2007. The panegyrics were so similar, I had to wonder whether the same writer was working for all three magazines. Is Boxer good? Undoubtedly. But is it the best album of 2007? Not nearly.
I own a couple other albums by The National and already owned this at the time of its coronation. When compared to other albums by the band, Boxer comes as quite a surprise. It is lyrically reminiscent of Tindersticks ... Read More
Rating: - Absolutely Goregeous Album
It's been a while since I've listened to an entire album straight through. Usually, I find a song I really like in the album and enjoy it so much that I can't even concentrate on the following tracks because I'm so eager to get back to it. Here, on this album, I felt like a little kid whose attention can be distracted so easily - every new song that came up became me favorite until eventually I quit trying to mentally hold on to what tracks were the best. I've listened to it through and through a dozen ... Read More
Rating: - Saw this band live
and opening for REM and I was blown away. They managed to take a seemingly disinterested arena full of people and transfix them with their melodic, moody music. There is a real senstivity to the lyrics that really resonate. I immediately bought their albums upon returning from that show and their studio productions do not disappoint. Great stuff.
Rating: - My favorite album in the last 10 years.
The national took me a few listens to get into, but since I have, I feel amply rewarded. Their music is so true to life - so nice to have music that speaks to someone older than 13. There is not a bad song on the album. Definitely one of the best modern acts. Its bands like this that have restored my faith in modern music.
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