The Cold Cut

Christmas is great fun. Not only do you eat, drink and generally live the life of a slob, you get to spend it with family and friends. I had a great Christmas. There was much gluttony: roast dinners, turkey pies, turkey this, turkey that. Some great presents (a non red-ring of death Xbox 360- touch wood), books, and chocolate. And whilst I love my presents, sharing is the spirit.

I was very happy, then, when my Dad tentatively unwrapped a CD shaped parcel, which thankfully contained both 'Boxer' and 'Alligator', the last two albums by The National. He, and I, have both been very interested in this band since the days when they began to dominate the hype machine popular lists for days at a time. After a long wait, we would deservedly get a listen to what many people say are two of the best albums in a long, long time.

Firstly, 'Alligator', which has a reputation as a 'grower', a word oftern misconstrued as meaning 'difficult'. With both albums, what you put in dictates how much you get out of it. The band have already done the hard work in producing two deep, excellent albums. The question is, how much are willing to give to the albums?

The National- Looking For Astronauts

I gave 'Alligator' my full attention. And its great. People were justified in thinking that 'Boxer' might not match it. Unfortunately, they were all wrong:

Next 'Boxer'. Wow- if you have yet to hear it, the stories are true. It is that good. Even on opener, 'Fake Empire', you can sense the magic. Matt Berninger has a brilliant baritone, and its a fitting opening. Track two, 'Mistaken For Strangers', is amongst the best songs they've yet recorded, brooding and melancholy. Throughout the whole album there is always an overwhelming sense of intensity, maintained from start to finish. Bryan Devendorf, their drummer, is the hero, and for me at least, he makes this album. There is always a militaristic, measured style to his strokes, and his addition alone makes these songs into much more than they could have been.

They are a few other stand-outs: 'Ada', with Sufjan Stevens lending a hand on piano, also features a contribution from touring member Padma Newsome on horn. 'Slow Show' is scathing, but don't read too much into the lyrics (as many people do with 'The National).

The National- Mistaken For Strangers
The National- Slow Show

It's frustrating that I didn't have the opportunity to listen to 'Boxer' in time for my end of year list, as it would most certainly have placed in the top 10 (replacing what?- have a guess).

Ahh, but which is better? An important, but necessary, question to pose. I can answer almost without thinking; 'Boxer' is superior, in that the sounds produced are those of a band at the top of their game. The National are here to stay.

People generally like to set themselves challenges. Some are reasonable, whilst some might be stretching reality. A great example of the second is Sufjan Steven's attempt to write a concept album for "the 50 states of America". Yes, 50 full albums. Ambitious? Hmm... Foolhardy might be a better way of describing it.

However, as ridiculous as this is, the results have yet to be less than brilliant: Stevens is a sensation, and his latest state album- 'Come On Feel The Illinoise!'- received rave reviews across the board, whilst picking up a myriad of awards. Each of these albums (Illinois and Michigan) is a masterclass in songwriting: Stevens immerses himself in the cultural and historical differences of each state, and writes context heavy songs which really do paint a picture. Take 'Illinoise!', for example: songs include "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", "Chicago" and "Jacksonville", the first of which is about the notorious Chicago-based serial killer who murdered 33 boys and was later executed. Put bluntly, this isn't easygoing stuff, but if you make the effort to listen, you will be rewarded.

The man himself is a bit of a mystery, although his music illustrates that he is a talented multi-instrumentalist. Just check out the sleeve notes on his albums: you will see that by all accounts Stevens plays at least 20 instruments on his records (through multi-track recording). One of his most powerful tools as a musician however, is his fey-voice and lyrical prowess. Artists nowadays have a tendency to write increasingly vague lyrics in attempt to appeal to as many individuals as possible. Not Sufjan. You don't get much more forward than the following when referring to a murderer:

I foresee a long and illustrious career for Sufjan, who will have to write these albums into his elderly years in order to complete his epic task. As impossible as the challenge seems, I wouldn't put it past him. If he becomes more focussed (aka stops writing 5 disc Christmas Medleys!), and concentrates on the 48 albums remaining, those of us still alive when he finishes could possess one of the most diverse collections of music ever committed to disc.

Sufjan Stevens- Chicago
Sufjan Stevens- John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
Sufjan Stevens- Seven Swans