The National's Boxer

The Nationals' fourth full-length album, "Boxer," was released in 2007 and saved the band. It is a profound personal meditation on the unmagnificent lives of adults and the first National album many fell in love with. Ryan Pinkard's book "Boxer" reconstructs a transformative chapter in the band's story, revealing how they found the sound, success, and spiritual growth to evolve into one of the most critically acclaimed bands of their time.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 14 July 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

“Pinkards account... brings to light the ambition and artistry,the stress and frustration,and ultimately the joy of making this very special album.—Peter Katis,The Nationals engineer,and mixer on Boxer “I am spooked by how well [Pinkard] has captured these characters and this madcap project. I am not sure how he did it.” —Carin Besser,co-lyricist on Boxer and wife to Matt Berninger“Accessible,perceptive,sometimes hilarious,but more often harrowing,Pinkards book gets a running start on its subject,tracing The Nationals trajectory from their first notes together to the creation of Boxer .” —Stephen M. Deusner,music critic and author

The National's album "Boxer" is a profound personal meditation on the unmagnificent lives of adults, an elegant culmination of their sophisticated songwriting, and the first National album many fell in love with. Released in 2007, it is the one that saved them. For fans, it is a profound personal meditation on the unmagnificent lives of adults, an elegant culmination of their sophisticated songwriting, and the first National album many fell in love with. For the band, it symbolizes an obsession, a years-long struggle, a love story, and a final give-it-everything-you've-got effort to keep their fantasy of being a real rock band alive.

Ryan Pinkard's account of the album's creation brings to light the ambition and artistry, the stress and frustration, and ultimately the joy of making this very special album. Peter Katis, The Nationals engineer, and mixer on Boxer, is spooked by how well Pinkard has captured these characters and this madcap project. Carin Besser, co-lyricist on Boxer and wife to Matt Berninger, is not sure how Pinkard did it.

Pinkard's book "Boxer: The Nationals' Transformative Chapter" gets a running start on its subject, tracing The Nationals' trajectory from their first notes together to the creation of Boxer. Stephen M. Deusner, music critic and author, describes it as accessible, perceptive, sometimes hilarious, but more often harrowing.

The album's creation was a transformative chapter in The Nationals' story, revealing how the Ohio-via-Brooklyn five-piece found the sound, success, and spiritual growth to evolve into one of the most critically acclaimed bands of their time. Pinkard's extensive original interviews with the fighters who were in the ring and the spectators who witnessed it unfold provide a unique perspective on the album's creation.

The album's sound is a combination of classic rock, indie rock, and Americana, with a focus on acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies. The lyrics are introspective and poetic, exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. The album's success was a turning point for The Nationals, allowing them to reach a wider audience and gain critical acclaim.

Boxer also symbolizes an obsession, a years-long struggle, a love story, and a final give-it-everything-you've-got effort to keep their fantasy of being a real rock band alive. The band's commitment to their craft and their willingness to push themselves creatively have been the driving force behind their success.

In conclusion, "Boxer" is a profound personal meditation on the unmagnificent lives of adults, an elegant culmination of The Nationals' sophisticated songwriting, and a symbol of their obsession, a years-long struggle, a love story, and a final give-it-everything-you've-got effort to keep their fantasy of being a real rock band alive. Ryan Pinkard's account of the album's creation brings to light the ambition and artistry, the stress and frustration, and ultimately the joy of making this very special album.

Weight: 178g
Dimension: 121 x 164 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501378010