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-end best albums list is flawed in several ways. I wonder if she listened to it more than once.
First, she writes that the drums are cranked up. What track on "Boxer" approximates the intensity of "Abel", "Mr. November" or many previous National rockers? None come to mind. "Slow Show" doesn't feature anything resembling "wild, rambling percussion."
Also, Kelly misquoted a lyrical reference. It's "You know I dreamed about you for 29 years before I saw you", importantly making it a complete thought. Kelly's incorrect "And though..." beginning makes the line a confusing fragment. I'd say the odds of her knowing that said lyric is a self-reflexive harking to The National's debut album are slim.
Finally, "Boxer" is the band's fourth full length. "Cherry Tree" is more of an 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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Can't win them all.
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ouch, somebody got up on the wrong side of the lp today.
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Sheesh, just a bit snarky. Meh, whatcha gonna do? At least you can be sure that someone read it.
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Maybe he should be writing his own stuff.
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He probably does on his The National dedication love blog. All The National all the time. I like to read it as if the comic book store nerd on Simpsons is speaking.
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Also, Jen, you're over 29, so if you've been waiting 29 years it hasn't been "all along." Next I think I'll edit yr punctuation. (Btw, "yr" is spelled correctly in the previous sentence, I learned spelling from Kerouac.) Oh god, now my spell check says I misspelled btw. Don't worry, I'm off all week, we'll hit perfection soon.
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Yea Really!
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Rob, you're so right. I am well over 29 years, but certain sorts of longings, including those for most decent kinds of music, didn't start right away.
Rob, did you go to Dartmouth? My friend Gretchen used to go out with a guy who had the same name as you. It would be so funny if you were the same guy. I was thinking about your last name because I finally got your stuff in the mail.
And, Sam, thank you so much for the comic book guy image. I feel ever so much better.
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Ivy League, moi? No, and I'm not available, so Gretchen will have to find that other RobP if she still wants one. I've been thinking of changing my middle name because, unlike my first and last, it can't be used as a verb. Or even an adverb, which I suppose would have worked even better.
So, you are well, you are over 29, and you have certain sorts of longings. What the hell, are you equally comfortable at the opera or taking walks on the beach? (I think I'd be equally uncomfortable, misfit Californian that I am.)
Ooh, I think you have my work address, I'll be going in Friday to pick up a paycheck, could mebbe be getting some tunes at the same time. Btw, my bro Matt, responding to an email about Bettye Lavette, said hers was his 2nd fave soul lp of the year behind Sharon Jones. Toldja you two should know each other.
Ya got any Dictators, Jen? Will be sending out gifts in January when the post office is less madhouse, digitizin some goodies this week.
Cheers.
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All's I know is how much I enjoy The National's last two albums (the latest is certainly one of the best of 2007 in my book), and that your summation was right on the money, jenny.
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Rob, there's some sort of Dictators demos comp coming out soon, if it hasn't already, supposed to be good. But, no, I'm almost completely ignorant of that, too.
I've never been much of a beach person, even when I was up for grabs...more of a used bookstore and dive bar kind of gal.
What I mostly long for these days is for one of my big impressive investment bank clients to cough up what they owe me and save christmas. But fat chance of that. Bastards.
And Mike, thanks. I think that I wrote at least four paragraphs about the National in the month of November, and I may have been a little bit on autopilot towards the end.
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I think a lot of people believe this is one of the top albums of the year.When I first heard this album I immediately thought Leonard Cohen,it has not been off my playlist since it first came out, Thanks
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It is easier to read it that way. I just hear him saying "worst National review ever". What a tool. Who does that? He didn't even address your awesome use of simulacra and baroque. You go girl!
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No, some people just feel the need to correct others to feel better about themselves. You can meet them in hell level 7.
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I just stumbled upon your journal and so read this belatedly. But let me just say how much I sympathize with your position. In the reviews I've done, I've found myself worrying too much about that sort of snarky response that _might_ come. In the end, though, there's nothing that can be done to stop its coming. I'm trying now to write for myself, rather than for others, if that makes any sense.
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Yeah, I know what you mean. I do write for others, though. I mean, I write for the bands I cover, because I think they're good and, in a lot of cases, no one gives them the time of day. I write for a few people who are looking for new music and don't have the opportunity to listen to as much of it as I do. I write for editors who are always trying to fill space and need people not to flake out on their reviews all the time.
But yeah, I do write for myself...I write to get better. I write to amuse myself. I write because it's the only vaguely interesting thing about my life.
I'm not really worried about this guy. It's possible he knows more about the National than I do, but I feel like I've done a fair amount to bring them to people's attention, starting way before the hype wave started. He probably just wants to write for PopMatters and is looking to make an impression. Whatever, it's just music, right?
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Just music? Who the fuck you tryin to kid? Just someone else's opinion, I think you mean.
I feel damn lucky that in the last year or two I've been able to find people whose tastes are similar to mine who have time to listen to new music and write about it. When it comes to the details every single one of you is wrong, but you get close enough and I have to pay attention.
Fastnbulbous posted his top 100 on Mog recently, with various categorizations, and although the vast majority of it goes past me as stuff I not only haven't heard but will never have time to, I get these great moments like when he mentions Parts & Labor and I not only have the album, but I know you gave it to me. So I not only get the references and like the music but I have a friendship associated with the whole thing. Which, being a communal thing, I believe is one of the major reasons music exists.
Believe I'm supposed to get some sleep before I drive down to visit family tomorrow, so I should stop typing now (now that the beer's gone), but hey Jen, love and happy new year to you and yours, music's damn important on this end and i'm damn grateful for what you have to say about it. Even when you're wrong.
Cheers,
Rob
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Thanks Rob. I don't think I've ever felt so warm and fuzzy about being mistaken before...music's important to me, too, obviously. The music writing (and being 'right" whatever that means) seems kind of silly most of the time. But, damn, I do like getting those free CDs in the mail all the time.
Happy new year to you, too.