Personnel: Pauline DeLassus, Carin Besser (vocals); Padma Newsome (violin, viola, organ); Ha Yang Kim (cello); Alex Sopp (flute); Sarah Phillips (clarinet); Rachael Elliott (bassoon); Tim Albright (trombone); Sufjan Stevens (piano); Thomas Bartlett (keyboards).

Audio Mixer: Peter Katis.

Recording information: Benny's Wash N' Dry, Brooklyn, NY; Brooklyn, NY; Tarquin Studios, Bridgeport, CT; White Sulphur Springs, WV.

Arrangers: Aaron Dessner; Bryce Dessner.

On 2007's BOXER, the National's second full-length album for the venerable Beggars Banquet label, the Brooklyn-based indie-rock act follows up the lauded ALLIGATOR with another round of melancholy guitar-driven tunes. Led by deep-voiced vocalist Matt Berninger, who often sounds hung-over yet disarmingly articulate, the band excels at brooding mid-tempo songs, as exemplified by the world-weary "Fake Empire," which combines political and personal themes, and "Mistaken for Strangers," a track that recalls NYC peers Interpol, thanks in part to the punchy approach of shared producer Peter Katis.

And while his presence isn't immediately apparent, indie hero Sufjan Stevens contributes piano to two tracks ("Racing Like a Pro" and "Ada"), adding to the National's increasingly expansive aesthetic, which also incorporates strings and horns. Though BOXER is more subdued than ALLIGATOR, it will likely appeal to those won over by the earlier outing.

The National don't do anything radically different on Boxer, but then again, they don't really need to: their literate, quietly anthemic take on indie rock seemed to have arrived fully formed on their 2001 self-titled debut. Boxer just hones in even more precisely and intimately on the heartfelt territory the band covers, with punchy-yet-polished production and orchestration by the Clogs' Padma Newsome giving these songs an intimacy and widescreen expansiveness that rivals the Arcade Fire. The album's first four songs are among the National's finest work yet: "Fake Empire" begins as a dead-of-night ballad that echoes Leonard Cohen, then peppy brass and guitars turn it into something joyous. The brooding "Mistaken for Strangers" touches on the side of the band that could be mistaken for a more hopeful Joy Division, if lyrics like "You wouldn't want an angel watching over you?/Surprise surprise, they wouldn't want to watch" can be counted as hopeful. "Brainy," a borderline obsessive love song, shows off the remarkable, dark chocolate richness of Matt Berninger's vocals and how well they complement the band's occasionally bookish lyrics, while "Squalor Victoria" makes the most of Newsome's lavish string arrangements. The rest of Boxer is subtler, but no less accomplished, with each song supporting the other as a classic album should. "Apartment Story"'s hypnotic chug and "Slow Show"'s witty, knowing affection make them standouts, while the graceful, regretful "Ada" plays more like a short story than a song. As focused as it is ambitious, Boxer is riveting. ~ Heather Phares