Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Song Of The Day - 1/20/09



The National
"Mistaken For Strangers"
from the album Boxer
Released 2007

Just as the previous entry, "Time To Pretend" was my pick for 2008 Song of the Year, this haunting three minutes and eleven seconds of awesomeness was easily the selection for 2007.

Quick personal note: iTunes tracks the numebr of times each track is played, and provides a list of your individual Top 25 Most Played. When I checked after my latest synch, this song was so far at the top it had doubled the next closest song.

About the song, what stands out to me is the drumming of Bryan Devendorf. The rhythmic pounding which punctuates each measure will stick in your head, while the clanging echoey guitars create an amazing mood in what turns out to be a brooding tone. Check this lyric for an example:



You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery citibank
lights
arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under
oh you wouldn’t want an angel watching over
surprise, surprise they wouldn’t wannna watch
another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of
adults

Wow. Not exactly "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", huh?


The above, when sung in the droning, Leonard Cohen-ish voice of Mark Berninger, makes for a highly memorable track which to this listener, stands out on a very good album.

Americanmary (band site)

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