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Boxer
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Mediocre Album
I heard The National from their previous album, which I did not like at all. It sounded like half the bands that were popular on the indie scene at that time. But then, I started to find The Boxer on top of all the lists in publications that I liked and respected. Still, with the memory of the last one, I held off. Now, I've finally given it a try, or rather a few tries. Musically, the album is nice. Not great, but nice. It has a lot of melody, atmosphere, and it is envolved enough to not sound simplistic. Vocally, however, it sounds like a mix of Morphine, maybe Nick Cave, but a lot Interpol and She Wants Revenge. Not to say that I dislike any of those groups (except She Wants Revenge, I really dislike them), but it sounds uninspired and copied.
Now I already said I find the album to sound nice, but really, it's hard to remember the songs. Only a couple stick out, but for most of them I had to back-up and listen again to decide if I actually liked it. Most of the time I came up with the same result, "Um, it's alright." It is music to listen to, but not to remember. To add to this, the punchy drums plus the vocals remind me of sub-par Interpol. I just feel like I've heard it all before, by bands that have done it better.
Rating:  - Enjoy
This album is amazing. Lyrics are deep as hell. Thick with imagery. It will make you sit around and reflect on your life as you listen to the songwriter reflect on his. The music is perfect. On the opening track, "Fake Empire" they resist the urge to go in for the kill early insteads they choose for a steady ride to the finish. The entire album Nothing is overdone. It all fits in the right place. Its like channeling the best of 80's R.E.M. and U2 with a touch of the Smiths to go with it. Like listening to a Rock Symphony. Easily, hands down, the best purchase I made last year. A true 5 star album.
Rating:  - Boring as can be
Amazon recommended this CD to me and I found it very disappointing. The songs all sound the same. The singer seems bored and emotionless and is thus quite boring to listen to. It's one of the worst CDs I've bought in years. I definitely don't recommend it--download one song off the CD and then imagine all the others, they sound just like the one you downloaded. Save your money.
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. It is an album to free your mind and just let go with. The opening song 'Fake Empire' is one of the most magnificent gems ever recorded. Both socially conscious and touching. 'Mistaken For Strangers' is uniquely played. 'Squalor Victoria' aside from having, what could be the perfect title, is easily the albums focal point. 'Slow Show' brings the band into new territory, much different then all their previous work. 'Apartment Story' is without comparison.
What may be most surprising is that the most impressive and attention grabbing thing about the album is the drumming. It's fresh, and original in a time of trite, and shopworn musicianship. It helps to push the entire album to that next level.
The National's Boxer is among some of the best music heard since the turn of the century. Highly recommended.
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 and Arab Strap, but the vocals are mostly in a droning monotone. The music itself can be surprisingly fast-paced in comparison with the vocals, the fact of which can give an impression of dissonance. Strong percussion and spare but excellent orchestration boost its appeal.
I pretty much enjoy the entire album with the exception of Green Gloves, which I do not care for. The best cuts are Mistaken For Strangers, Brainy, and Slow Show. A booklet containing lyrics would have been beneficial, after all The National are as much about their lyrics as they are about their music. What you get instead is an expanded cover insert that contains a few pictures and the usual album information.
With Boxer, The National shows fans that at least they are willing to take musical risks and not keep rehashing the tried and true. And that's a good thing. So while I reiterate that Boxer is not the best of 2007, that doesn't mean its not worth hearing.
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