Boxer
by The National
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 348 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 313 out of 348
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 348
  3. Negative: 21 out of 348

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  1. JonB.
    Jun 23, 2008
    10
    Yes, I like this album even more than Radiohead's Rainbows. Best album of the year.
  2. KyleM
    May 23, 2007
    9
    album of the year so far, easily
  3. tanner
    Jun 12, 2007
    10
    very thoughtful setlist and great all-around show. I'll stump shamelessly for The National any day.
  4. TristramC
    Jun 8, 2007
    9
    These guys are in Minneapolis tonight. I came on to get tickets. It sold out. It sold out because as good as Alligator was Boxer blows it away. I was just foolish enough to believe these guys were still my little secret. Only better cd i've heard from this year is Copia by Eluvium. Quietly, one of the best tracks of 2005 was '...Soho Riots' off Alligator. Elsewhere on that These guys are in Minneapolis tonight. I came on to get tickets. It sold out. It sold out because as good as Alligator was Boxer blows it away. I was just foolish enough to believe these guys were still my little secret. Only better cd i've heard from this year is Copia by Eluvium. Quietly, one of the best tracks of 2005 was '...Soho Riots' off Alligator. Elsewhere on that album that moment wasn't even touched. On Boxer they are everywhere. The National are compared with Interpol quite a bit and I can hear it but imagine if in place of Interpols angular rigidity there was Leonard Cohen's fluidity & lushness. Yeah. Its great.… Expand
  5. WookieC
    Jul 27, 2007
    10
    It seemed that after Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers and Alligator they couldn't get any better. They could.
  6. tipobaha
    Jul 3, 2011
    9
    just amazing. best album of them.
  7. AlekseyI
    Jun 6, 2007
    10
    Simply the best
  8. SamG
    Apr 29, 2007
    9
    brilliant
  9. feriatus
    May 23, 2007
    10
    Riveting.
  10. AndyW
    May 4, 2007
    9
    I wasn't too keen on first listen, but after a while the songs just get to. "Mistaken For Strangers", "Slow Show", "Guest Room", and plenty of other strong tracks. Possibly, one of my top 5 favorite albums of this year
  11. ArthurD
    Jun 1, 2007
    8
    A pretty sound effort but not a patch on "Boxer". The new songs are a lot better played live which makes me think the production was maybe a bit tame. "Mistaken For Strangers" is easily the best of the bunch, but it's not anywhere near the standard of "Mr November" or "All the Wine" from their last CD. As for the muppets who have "reviewed" the album without even listening to it, do A pretty sound effort but not a patch on "Boxer". The new songs are a lot better played live which makes me think the production was maybe a bit tame. "Mistaken For Strangers" is easily the best of the bunch, but it's not anywhere near the standard of "Mr November" or "All the Wine" from their last CD. As for the muppets who have "reviewed" the album without even listening to it, do us a favour and sod off over to Amazon.… Expand
  12. LS
    Jun 30, 2007
    10
    Superb Album. A bit calmer than Alligator, with the tracks more like the calmer Daughters of the Soho riots etc. An absolute must.
  13. jessem
    Jun 3, 2007
    9
    These guys are amazing...It's taken me months to get into every one of their albums, but the payoff is staggering. With this album, they've even begun to self-reference their own work, creating this mythology that's incredibly engaging and powerful.
  14. GuyH
    Jun 8, 2007
    10
    This album is simply superb. 'Alligator' was good but this sounds like a perfectly formed album. By far the best album I have heard this year - The National should now be considered as members of that elite group of truly special bands.
  15. PhilipB.
    Jul 10, 2007
    10
    Excellent album. Get's better with each listen and hasn't gotten old yet.
  16. Dan
    Jul 11, 2007
    10
    I just got this album, and it has literally blew me away - right from the first listen. Outstanding!
  17. JaddyP
    Aug 3, 2007
    9
    The strangest thing about this album is that there is nothing remarkable about it but somehow it is a very remarkable album. The individual parts are all nothing spacial. The drum are OK and the guitar work works well but it isn't outstanding. The vocal are nothing special. However the sum of all this is a music that is well structure and grows and grows and grows. Pleasant surprises The strangest thing about this album is that there is nothing remarkable about it but somehow it is a very remarkable album. The individual parts are all nothing spacial. The drum are OK and the guitar work works well but it isn't outstanding. The vocal are nothing special. However the sum of all this is a music that is well structure and grows and grows and grows. Pleasant surprises all round. I highly recommend this!s… Expand
  18. Elli
    Oct 9, 2007
    8
    I had such high expectations for this album. This is a good album but nowhere as magnificent as its predecessor, "Alligator." This album takes a while to appreciate and it has a slower pace than "Alligator." My favorite songs are "Fake Empire" and "Slow Show."
  19. BrissaR
    Oct 9, 2007
    7
    Alligator was more upbeat and there was a greater variety of songs/tempos. Boxer is more contemplated and the songs drift into each other, i.e., it's more monotonous. If you are a fan of the National than you should buy Boxer but don't get your hopes up too high.
  20. javierm
    May 14, 2007
    9
    gana con cada escucha, es cierto como dice aqui abajo el compañero. Estamos ante un album que contiene el gran himno del indie de este siglo: Apartment Story. La pegada de la bateria es brutal! Alligator es su obra maestra y esta su gema.
  21. PerG
    May 22, 2007
    10
    A grower for sure. Keep listening to this album and you'll keep it close for life.
  22. AdamB
    May 22, 2007
    9
    Not quite as good as Alligator, but still amazing. One of the best of the year for sure.
  23. PraC
    May 24, 2007
    10
    This album has set the bar for all releases in 2007. Not only is it the best album of this year, it's one of the best this decade. A brilliant work from one of the best and undoubtedly the most underrated band in the world.
  24. MusicMaven
    May 24, 2007
    9
    They've bulit on the progress of their excellent previous album 'Alligator' to the point where every song is a multi-layered gem. Most are mid-tempo numbers that aren't quite rockers or ballads, driven by inventive drum patterns and framed with expressive guitars. These provide a sympathetic backing for Matt Berninger's deep, evocative lyrics. The album grows They've bulit on the progress of their excellent previous album 'Alligator' to the point where every song is a multi-layered gem. Most are mid-tempo numbers that aren't quite rockers or ballads, driven by inventive drum patterns and framed with expressive guitars. These provide a sympathetic backing for Matt Berninger's deep, evocative lyrics. The album grows stronger with each listen, and is surely one of the finest of 2007.… Expand
  25. Mark
    May 27, 2007
    8
    Good album...
  26. nathalie
    May 29, 2007
    10
    this is the most beautiful album i have heard all year.
  27. SharonC
    May 30, 2007
    10
    This album is absolutely amazing - one of the best I've ever heard.
  28. KostasG
    May 5, 2007
    10
    If you like Nick Cave, then you will love this album.
  29. Darnell
    Jun 15, 2007
    9
    The National score big points here. The drumming throughout this disc is exceptional, and guitar work is from the Edge school of rock. Vocals are reminiscent of Leonard Cohen with a more modern slant. The energy on this album is at times restrained, allowing the music space to build into a wondrous wall of bombast. See Mistaken for Strangers. This album has surpassed Alligator as my The National score big points here. The drumming throughout this disc is exceptional, and guitar work is from the Edge school of rock. Vocals are reminiscent of Leonard Cohen with a more modern slant. The energy on this album is at times restrained, allowing the music space to build into a wondrous wall of bombast. See Mistaken for Strangers. This album has surpassed Alligator as my favorite, but that is splitting hairs.… Expand
  30. andrew
    Jun 17, 2007
    10
    Boxer just made my personal list of 10 greatest albums of all time. I may be jumping the gun on this one a little, seeing as how I have only had the album for a few weeks, but every time I hear Berninger's voice softly contemplating the meaning of our existence over a lovingly played piano that emerges into a lush cacaphony of brass, guitar and drums, I can't imagine that I Boxer just made my personal list of 10 greatest albums of all time. I may be jumping the gun on this one a little, seeing as how I have only had the album for a few weeks, but every time I hear Berninger's voice softly contemplating the meaning of our existence over a lovingly played piano that emerges into a lush cacaphony of brass, guitar and drums, I can't imagine that I would ever become enough of a heartless bastard to knock this album off my list. I remember thinking when I first heard Boxer and Alligator (the preceding album) that they were like 'bright lights' interpol meets the hold steady, toeing the line between being too esoteric to understand for more than a fleeting moment or being so bombastically story driven that you would have to be completely removed from the music to not realize how the songs were connected. Now though, I have just come to be able to appreciate Boxer for being the incredible, soulful gem of a record that it is.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best Album of 2007
15
#15 Most Discussed Album of 2007
9
#9 Most Shared Album of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Hartford Courant
    70
    The National hews too closely to established formula on "Boxer," content to revisit previously explored territory without expanding its sound.
    Read full review
  2. Paste Magazine
    60
    Here, most gestures remain a bit too consciously panoramic—elegant enough for comfort but often not chancy enough to be breathtaking.
    Read full review
  3. Playlouder
    60
    A patchy, flawed effort.
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See all critic reviews »