The National “Alligator” (Best of the Decade)
I think that if you took a poll of music fans, you would find that a majority would say that the best National album is their 2007 record Boxer. I would disagree. While Boxer was amazing and is one of my favorite discs from that year, I still have a stronger emotional attachment to 2005′s Alligator. While Boxer is more refined and might show the band’s maturity a little better, Alligator finds the band mixing their earlier, more abrasive sound with the complex and dynamic pop music that would go on to fill Boxer. Lead singer Matt Beringer screams less than on their earlier albums, but he still has a little fire in his belly. Both “Able” and “Mr. November” show a band at their explosive best, while they still can charm the pants off the listener with such great slower tracks like “Karen” and “All the Wine.” When I find myself becoming torn between two albums, I always have chosen the one that I return to most often: Alligator.
