The National – Boxer (Vinil 180g, LP dublu)

“Boxer” is the album that transformed The National from a respected indie band into one of the most significant bands of the 21st century. “Boxer” is filled with literary storytelling, grand arrangements, and mysterious beauty – an album that tackles themes such as domestic life, coming of age, and escapism with equal parts unflinching honesty and clever wit. Sublime, multifaceted, and intimate, it is more relevant today than ever, even compared to when it was first released in 2007. And as far as the Cincinnati-born, New York-based quintet is concerned, there’s no better place to start than “Boxer”: The National’s fourth studio album, released on Beggars Banquet Records, debuted at No. 68 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and sold nearly one million units in its first week of release. In Paste’s year-end issue, the album was named the best record of 2007. “Mistaken For Strangers” ranked No. 92 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Best Songs of 2007.” The popular online publication Pitchfork placed the album at No. 17 on its annual year-end list. “Boxer” also took first place on WOXY.com’s “97 Best of 2007” list. In addition, “Boxer” made it onto numerous “Albums of the Decade” lists – including those by Pitchfork, Aquarium Drunkard, Paste, and The Guardian.

Given the perfectionist tendencies and individual preferences of two pairs of brothers, and given the leisurely pace at which singer Matt Berninger wrote his lyrics, The National forged “Boxer” out of conflict and frustration. The fact that the recording process was documented for the film “A Skin, A Night” likely did little to ease the tension. In retrospect, however, it probably did help after all. “Boxer” is the cohesive, skillful, and confident work of a fully functional band whose interpersonal and professional relationships are expressed through their music. You can hear this in the atmospheric guitar passages and elegant piano lines of brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner; in the shifting time signatures, the jazzy influences, and the bubbling rhythms of brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf; as well as in Berninger’s restrained vocals, his repeated phrases, and his smoky baritone voice. All of this helps make the impressionistic stories of fears, doubts, self-loathing, compromises, pretense, and role-playing seem all the more real. The same is true of the orchestral, brass, and string accents, played by an ensemble that includes Padma Newsome (violin, viola, organ), Sufjan Stevens (piano), and Thomas Bartlett (keyboards, accordion). The tastefully employed fanfares interact with Berninger’s vocals, the atmospheric melodies, and the open soundscapes that signal hesitation, revulsion, melancholy, disillusionment, and self-satisfaction. The songs function as cocoons, acoustic shells, and inner dialogues necessary to navigate unfulfilling jobs, social pressure, and uncertain relationships. Amid understated soundscapes that remain incredibly beautiful even when they turn somber, “Boxer” resonates with a blend of cautious cheerfulness, hopeless romance, and driving self-awareness. Balm for the soul.

MFSL now presents “Boxer” for the first time in audiophile reference quality! Mastered from the original tapes at MoFi Studio in California and pressed by Fidelity Record Pressing, this numbered double LP (180 grams, 45 RPM) is strictly limited to 3,000 copies, is housed in a luxurious gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing and offers the best sound quality the album has ever had on vinyl. This collectible reissue features the iconic cover artwork and sets new standards in terms of depth, transparency, and dynamics. No previous version brings out the album’s chamber-music textures, rhythms, brass-like accents, and minimalist structures with such immediacy, depth, and balance. The black background literally transports The National onto the stage of your listening room, creating the lightness and atmosphere for which The National are celebrated in their live performances!We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Lista pieselor

LP 1

Side A

1. Fake Empire

2. Mistaken For Strangers

3. Brainy

Side B

1. Squalor Victoria

2. Green Gloves

3. Slow Show

LP 2

Side C

1. Apartment Story

2. Start A War

3. Guest Room

Side D

1. Racing Like A Pro

2. Ada

3. Gospel