The National - Boxer
|
Our Price: $9.98 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $6.82 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Boxer
Free Music Review: 4.5 Stars... The National keeps getting better and better
Hit: 4 Stars
The National (originaly hailing from Cincinnati incidentally, before moving to New York in the late 90s) have slowly but surely building their indie-music resume since their outstanding 2001 self-titled debut album. After their 3rd album, 2005's "Alligator", now comes the eagerly anticipated new album.
"Boxer" (12 tracks, 43 min.) shows the band progressing again with, at times, magical results. The first 4 tracks of the album are in my opinion the best the band has ever been. The opener "Fake Empire" starts off very calmy before slowing bursting into almost-epic sounds. "Mistake for Strangers" is a coulda/shoulda be hard-charging radio single, which reminds me of Joy Division, of all bands, as is "Brainy", which is followed by my favorite track of the album "Squalor Victoria", which features some lush orchestral instrumentation on top of the intense drums and piano, what a way to cap a perfect initial third of the album. After that, things level off a bit. "Apartment Story" is another hard-charged song that works great. Interesting to note that Sufjan Stevens plays piano on "Racing Like a Pro" and "Ada". The closer "Gospel" is the perfect summary of the album: quiet, yet charged, it captures the mood.
If mainstream radio would be a bit more open-minded, the National might break big. Given the sorry state of radio these days, I very much doubt it. But it doesn't detract from the intrinsic beauty of "Boxer" as an album, and the National keeps winning more fans with each tour. I just love this slow-burner mood piece that this album is. Highly recommended!
Free Music Review: potential record of the year 2007
Hit: 5 Stars
Honestly...I think I like this record more than the first two (and probably third) Interpol albums. I also like it more than the National's last record, "Alligator", which was GREAT.
This record is SOOOOOOOO much more than just some Joy Division rip-off. There is a boatload of Americana and folk influence to this record...along with a biting critique of modern American urban life. Great songs about relationships and about our place in the world.
I saw these guys play at the Duck Room in St Louis and they were incredible. I really hope this band blows up because of this record...I listen to it as a whole so much that I cannot even pick a favorite song!
Free Music Review: Keeps Getting Better
Hit: 5 Stars
The first notes of this album blew me away; this album starts strong with "Fake Empire," a confusing and beautifully tempoed (if that's a word) song. As with other National albums, this one does take some getting used to, off the bat I really enjoyed "Slow Show" and "Ada," but now I'm getting into
"Apartment Story" and "Racing like a pro." I would probably recommend getting "Alligator" first if you are new to the National, but this album is stellar.
Free Music Review: Growing
Hit: 5 Stars
After discovering The Alligator last year and listening to the song Secret Meeting with the "..I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain.." echoing thru the rest of the album I decided to go a little further and explore their previous works.
Cherry Tree with the theme "about today" automatically owned me the first time it hit my cd player.
Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers revealed me "Slipping Husband", just repeating itself in the stereo until that little moment where he throws his tongue out to unleash "..Dear we better get a drink in you before you start to bore us..".
There are some rare cds that have the ability to just keep growing inside us and reavealing each time yet undiscovered moments of true joy. The National is just the band that allways share with us this kind of cds. It's for me, their trademark. They grow inside you.
Boxer is not different. It just started growing in me play after play and revealing already his first singular moments of true joy.
Truly a must for any music fan.. 5*
Free Music Review: Incongruities
Hit: 4 Stars
Just what rock music needs...another over-hyped, next-big thing, saviors of rock and roll band. However The National has been around for a few years now, and may just be deserving of some hype.
At least half of the songs are awesome, especially Fake Empire, Slow Show, Start A War and the amazing Ada. They still have that post-punk Cure/Psychedlic Furs/Joy Divison thing going on; but instead of simply mimicking bands from that genre, they add their own signature.
There is not as much variety in the music as on Alligator and a sense of sameness starts to pervade before the album ends. And the drumming, part of what made Alligator such a satisfying release, almost gets in the way here. But these are small quibbles. The National is a band to reckon with!
The National takes elements that on the surface would seem to be incongruous--somber chamber music with almost breakneck speed percussion cobbled with the singers dour, impenetrable poetry. On paper it sounds like it would be a mess. On disc it is quite compelling.