The National’s debut for Beggars Banquet Records boasts eloquent production and some of frontman Matt Berninger’s finest songs. The Brooklyn band’s sound includes elements of folk and swirling indie rock, with Berninger’s literate, emotive tunes drawing heavily on the tradition of melancholic singer/songwriters. On “Daughters of the Soho Riots,” Berninger’s baritone croon recalls Gordon Lightfoot, yet his lyrics are incisive, confessional, and decidedly contemporary. The combination of surreal imagery and genuine pathos in “Baby, We’ll Be Fine” (expressed in the song’s repeated refrain) is also representative of Berninger’s craft.

Two pairs of brothers–Aaron and Bryce Dessner (guitars) and Scott and Bryan Devendorf (bass and drums, respectively)–keep things alternately chiming, churning, and appropriately atmospheric. The startling relationship sketch “Karen,” for example, rides a light rock pulse dominated by piano and augmented by strings, making it one of the album’s shining moments. “All the Wine” turns Berninger’s usually dark self-exploration on its head with its semi-ironic self-aggrandizement. ALLIGATOR’s 13 tracks testify to the National’s standing as one of the more distinctive and absorbing bands around.

Tracklisting
1. Secret Meeting
2. Karen
3. Lit Up
4. Looking For Astronauts
5. Daughters Of The Soho Riots
6. Baby, Well Be Fine
7. Friend Of Mine
8. Val Jester
9. All The Wine
10. Abel
11. Geese Of Beverly Road, The
12. City Middle
13. Mr. November

Professional Reviews
Uncut (p.94) – 5 stars out of 5 – “[B]uried in the richness of their music, there’s a spare elegance unheard since The Triffids….They feed an energy more residual than that of The Rapture or The Strokes.”

Magnet (p.53) – Ranked #10 in Magnet’s “The 20 Best Albums Of 2005″ – “Once inside, you’re privy to literate songs about conflicted men, unhinged minds and worried heroes.”

Mojo (Publisher) (p.108) – 4 stars out of 5 – “[The album] walks the same Cold War-era Bowery streets as Interpol but is not more than a half step away from lysergic brilliance.”

BOXER is the National’s second full-length album for the independant Beggars Banquet label. The Brooklyn based indie-rock act follows up the critically acclaimed ALLIGATOR with another album of beautiful melancholy guitar-driven songs. Matt Berninger really has one of the best rock voices around today and he often sounds hung-over yet disarmingly articulate. The band excels at brooding mid-tempo songs, as exemplified by the world-weary “Fake Empire,” which combines political and personal themes, and “Mistaken for Strangers,” a track that recalls NYC peers Interpol, thanks in part to the punchy approach of shared producer Peter Katis.

And while his presence isn’t immediately apparent, indie hero Sufjan Stevens contributes piano to two tracks (”Racing Like a Pro” and “Ada”), adding to the National’s increasingly expansive aesthetic, which also incorporates strings and horns. Although BOXER is more subdued than ALLIGATOR, it will definitely appeal to those who were won over by the earlier outing.

Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.93) – 4 stars out of 5 — “The songs are subtler, statelier, with Matt Berninger’s baritone exuding lonesome warmth.”

Spin (p.94) – 4 stars out of 5 — “[A]dding brass, piano, and backup singers to unveil high drama of the blunt, uncliched sort unheard since the Afghan Whigs’ 90s heyday.”

Alternative Press (p.170) – 4 stars out of 5 — “[T]he band mirror the moody nature of the lyrics via genius arrangements, subtle layering and an overwhelming feeling of melancholy that’s ultimately strangely reassuring.”

CMJ (p.41) – “[BOXER] continues to explore the singer’s clever, self-deprecating ruminations, but his band sticks to more controlled,bittersweet tones this time….Its musical nuance makes it feel deeper.”

Q (Magazine) (p.78) – Ranked #30 in Q’s “The 50 Best Albums Of 2007″ — “[With] Matt Berninger’s intimate baritone detailing love’s losses over dark, dramatic melodies.