Boards
Mistaken For Strangers by The National
I had (well, still have) some pretty mixed opinions of the new album as a whole the other day, but this track eh? EH? Absolutely the best thing I’ve heard so far this year under that big indie-schmindie umbrella. A tempered, reigned-in anthem; I guess I was wrong in that other thread, and to have it cut loose with affected histrionics would undermine the whole thing. It growls along, and gently becomes more and more intense with each verse; so that by the time it ends you feel like you’ve been caught out in a thunderstorm. The low-key vocal melodies and delivery provide a chance to appreciate the craft that’s gone into the lyrics, and, in particular, their rhythm. The breathless run-on lines in the chorus are completely magic.
Alright, so I sounds like a rubbish turbo-pseud yeah. But it’s beautiful. You gots to hear it.