For such a strong record, Boxer doesn’t open on its strongest note.  “Fake Empire” starts with a subdued piano, before adding drums, but lacks a hook.  Boxer really starts grabbing with the second track, “Mistaken For Strangers”.  The first single, “Mistaken” has that hook, making it more dark than sad, with a nice bass-fueled middle.  The National can be catchy when they want to be, yet don’t lose their essential heartbreak, like with “Mistaken” and second single “Apartment Story”, which glides along oh-so-nicely, all the while taking you along with it.  And “Ada” is wise and clever, without ever being too clever for its own good.

The National also take it up a notch in skill on Boxer, trying out some new avenues and generally succeeding.  The early one-two punch of “Brainy” and “Squalor Victoria” has impressive percussion at both cores, a rhythmic beat for “Brainy” to go along with its echoing keys and guitar and singer Matt Berninger’s pitch-perfect voice, and a driving base on “Victoria”, a sort of sad song that the man would sing after driving away, leaving the girl in tears.  The quiet guitar opening of “Start a War” belies the growing power it develops, thanks Bryan Devendorf’s pushing drums.  “Racing Like a Pro”, meanwhile, uses melody to make itself immensely meaningful.  And finisher “Gospel” is almost classical in feel, smooth, but touching.

For a band as dark and downbeat as The National, the future really looks bright.  Boxer has all the air of a ‘breakthrough’ album, the kind that will land them on MTV, then Rolling Stone, and then turn them into big, full-of-themselves jerks.  Hopefully that last one won’t happen, but whatever comes next, based on Boxer, it’s going to be good.

- Ted Chase
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