It’s been a few years since I’ve listened to Boxer. I burned through this album during my early 20’s (it was my de facto soundtrack during my commute up highway 280 from Cupertino to San Mateo during my first job out of college) and it sounds just as great as it did back then. The brooding introspection, the understated elegance, the feeling that something unspoken is lurking in the shadows waiting to jump out and grab you– it’s all so wonderfully cinematic and intimate at the same time, with intricate melodies and atmospheric sounds clashing with the gorgeous harmonies that propel each song forward. Each track unfolds like a whispered confession, layered with subtle but complex percussion and lush orchestral elements that build a sense of urgency and emotional depth.
There’s a palpable tension between the reflective nature of the lyrics and the sweeping sound that surrounds them, unfurling a world of quiet despair and hopeful longing. Matt Berninger’s baritone vocals carry a weight of melancholy and yearning, delivering poignant lyrics that explore themes of vulnerability. resilience, and a submission to the inevitable realization that as you get older there’s a lot of things in life you may not like, cannot change, and ultimately need to accept. It’s accessible solitude in a way that’s similar to Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago— an album that transports to a time and place you never directly experienced but feels oh so familiar, a vignette of a life you never led but have always known.
Standout Songs: “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken For Strangers”, “Squalor Victoria”, “Apartment Story”, “Start A War”, “Racing Like A Pro”, “Ada”
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