The National: Boxer Demos (2007)

Rarities


Matt Berninger's baritone lull and strangely original lyrics have made his band The National a force to be reckoned with. While the band's output dates back to their eponymous 2001 debut, their 2005 release of the attention-grabbing and highly re-playable Alligator put them on the map. The album is an odd assortment of off-beat prose and self deprecating poetry that yields more brilliance upon each listen. The charm in Berninger's material lies in his lyrical vagueness. For example, "All The Wine" reads: "I'm put together beautifully/ Big wet bottle in my fist/ Big red rose in my teeth/ I'm a perfect piece of ass/ Like every Californian/ So tall I take over the street with highbeams shining on my back/ A wingspan unbelievable/ I'm a festival/ I'm a parade." With excerpts like that, it's easy to see what makes Berninger's songwriting so unique, and The National added another solid entry to their growing catalog with this year's Boxer. Songs like "Slow Show" and "Mistaken For Strangers" find the band spreading their wings musically while Berninger's biting words remain sharply witty. In today's post of rarities, you'll find an alternate version of "Brainy," which appears on Boxer, along with a previously unreleased track entitled "Santa Clara." -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: The National - Brainy (Alternate Version)
MP3: The National - Santa Clara

Tags: The National, Boxer, Demos, Rarities