10/04/2019
Not only is ‘The Boxer’ one of the best albums ever but ‘Fake Empire’ is also one of the best songs ever. Those first few piano chords hit me every time. Then followed by some unforgettable lyrics:
“Tiptoe through our shiny city / With our diamond slippers on / Do our gay ballet on ice, bluebirds on our shoulders / We’re half awake in a fake empire.”
I’m so obsessed with this album that the weekend just gone I made my 21 week pregnant wife listen to it in full so my baby’s first use of its ears will hear Berninger’s beautiful baritone. I know, not the happiest album to expose to a baby but I will play some early Beatles next week to balance it out.
Anyway this album was the last chance for The National. The band were ready to call it a day if this album wasn’t a success. So glad it was. I could write a short dissertation on each song especially after listening to podcast which literally has an episode on each track. But I won’t. I will tell you that the string and horn arrangements are absolute genius especially on ‘Mistaken for Strangers’. ‘Ada’ is stunning (with Sufjan Stevens on piano). ‘Brainy’, ‘Squalor Victoria’ and ‘Slow Show’ get a big mention but ‘Green Gloves’ is one of those tracks that stays with you. Confession: I first heard this track watching ‘One Tree Hill’ back in the day and I was hooked there and then. Long story short I love this album.
