Pitchfork

National singer Matt Berninger's voice is rich but brittle around its edges, and on "Fake Empire"-- the first song unveiled from the band's forthcoming album, Boxer-- his group's rolling piano and drums can't compete with it. Berninger's vocals dominate the track, and they tend to feel a little heavy on the ears, even when he sings about "bluebirds on our shoulders" and baking apple pies. This isn't a big change from the National's previous material-- which has always been morose in sound, if not lyrics. Here Berninger seems to chastize a comfortable and politcally apathetic American public: "Turn the light out, say goodnight/ No thinking for a little while/ Let's not try to figure out everything at once." Four years into the Iraq war and six years into the current administration, that's a depressing and still all-too-accurate observation.

Beggars also sent us a teaser for both the rest of the album and an upcoming documentary on the National, which was directed by Vincent Moon.

MP3: > The National: "Fake Empire"
[from Boxer; due 05/22/07 on Beggars]