National, The: Alligator (CD)

On The National's third album and first for Beggars Banquet, Matt Berninger's potent baritone still intones about matters fraught and funny and sad, about record collections, missing persons and medium-sized American hearts. But the record's not simply gothic or miserable. More like the plays of Tennessee Williams, it's full of peculiar intimacies and awkward grace.

Alligator's heroes are reckless and possessed seducers, but they are apologetic ones. In The National's imaginings, in songs alternately lush and spare, there is something twilit and dreamy worked out in the basement of our brains. It has the bravado of Leonard Cohen and a spare elegance unheard since The Triffids.

1. Secret Meeting
2. Karen
3. Lit Up
4. Looking For Astronauts
5. Daughters Of The Soho Riots
6. Baby, We'll Be Fine
7. Friend Of Mine
8. Val Jester
9. All The Wine
10. Abel
11. The Geese Of Beverly Road
12. City Middle
13. Mr. November