Some people are so hard to please
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The big year-end list of albums is up now at PopMatters (http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/52152/the-best-albums-of-2007), and I was assigned to cover The National's Boxer. Here's what I said:Dark brooding and evocative-though without ever laying literal meanings bare-the National's fifth full-length turned a complex formula up several notches. Here, again, as on Alligator, were the murmured images, sensual melodies, and sudden classical flourishes, yet the whole enterprise sounded more intense. Drums were turned up louder, making rockers like "Brainy" into raucous simulacra of the band's live show. Even smouldering ballads-"Slow Show", for instance-were paced by wild galloping percussion. Meanwhile, baroque intervals of brass, strings, and classical guitar flared and receded within this disc's rock songs, yet never felt flashy or out of place. Matt Berninger's deep, whispery voice made even the most commonplace observations sound romantic, but twisted listeners into knots with a declaration, "And though I dreamed about you / For 29 years before I met you." Funny, I feel the same way about this record, as if I'd been waiting for it all along. Jennifer Kelly And, just for fun, here's the email I got this morning critiquing my critique:--------------------------Jennifer Kelly's blurb/summation of The National's "Boxer" for your year-endbest albums list is flawed in several ways. I wonder if she listened to itmore than once.First, she writes that the drums are cranked up. What track on "Boxer"approximates the intensity of "Abel", "Mr. November" or many previousNational rockers? None come to mind. "Slow Show" doesn't feature anythingresembling "wild, rambling percussion."Also, Kelly misquoted a lyrical reference. It's "You know I dreamed aboutyou for 29 years before I saw you", importantly making it a completethought. Kelly's incorrect "And though..." beginning makes the line aconfusing fragment. I'd say the odds of her knowing that said lyric is aself-reflexive harking to The National's debut album are slim.Finally, "Boxer" is the band's fourth full length. "Cherry Tree" is more ofan EP at about 26 minutes.I do agree with Kelly's description of The National's live show as "raucous"(as well as its high placement among your best of 2007 list, of course).------------------I also spelled Boxer correctly.Cheers.
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