the Buzz for October 16th, 2010

16
Oct

The National — “Start a War” (from Boxer) — Start

You could tie yourself in knots trying to discern what any of this band’s songs are about, or you could just surrender your reservations and lay back into the uncanny, off-kilter beauty they seem to unfailingly produce. With a wrenching, riveting slow build here, a lazy guitar strum opens up into a lush, insistent swirl of instrumentation which gorgeously envelops frontman Matt Berninger’s wondrous, wearily wise baritone stylings. Just don’t ask me what the hell he’s singing about.