The National - "Mistaken For Strangers"

THE NATIONAL, an indie rock outfit from New York, recently released their moody and fantastic album, Boxer. A lot of the reviews talked about how the album is a slow-opener, which is to say that you have to listen to it a few times before it reveals itself to you. I disagree. It hooked me immediately, and I think it ranks up there with the best indie rock releases of 2007.

"Mistaken for Strangers" is representative the album's tone. It's brooding and stylish, with a strong forward propulsion and a subtle but memorable hook. I love the way Matt Berninger's vocals rides the baseline, the way the drum beat is relentless, and the way the chorus grabs you without falling into the standard "quiet-loud-quiet" formula.

The lyrics also hit home. The song is about the way people deflate and acquiesce their way into adulthood; the drum and bass line capture that the transformation to your adult self can feel sort of inevitable, inescapable. About six months into my first job, I was spreading mayo on a sandwich for lunch and all of a sudden it hit me that this was the new life - making five sandwiches a week for the next 40 years. I think I've gained a lot in the years since college - perspective, certainly - but sometimes I wonder what was lost.

Anyway, the video is of the low budget "watch the rock band play their music" variety, and isn't much to write home about. In fact, I would recommend plugging in your headphones and listening to the song without the visual, as the song creates an atmosphere and a depth that the video works against by being rather claustrophobic.

The National - "Mistaken For Strangers"

"Another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults"