The National

I'm a sucker for melodic, mellow indie rock, and The National's new album, Boxer, satisfies me like a consecutive three hours of sleep (a good thing). Matt Berninger's baritone is soothing and addictive, yet not cloying as he sings of relationships on the brink of implosion and the malaise of white-collar middle-classdom on songs such as "Racing Like a Pro":

You’re pink you’re young you’re middle-class
they say it doesn’t matter
Fifteen blue shirts and womanly hands
you’re shooting up the ladder

Your mind is racing like a pro, now
Oh my god it doesn’t mean a lot to you
One time you were a glowing young ruffian
Oh my god it was a million years ago

Sometimes you get up and bake a cake or something
sometimes you stay in bed
sometimes you go la di da di da di da da
til your eyes roll back into your head

Your mind is racing like a pro, now
Oh my god it doesn’t mean a lot to you
One time you were a glowing young ruffian
Oh my god it was a million years ago

You’re dumbstruck baby
You’re dumbstruck baby now you know

The tracks have no dynamic builds or swells to speak of, just an organic steadiness that somehow doesn't become tiresome. There's some Brit-pop influences, with much less of the alt-country feel of some of the five-piece's earlier work. And it doesn't hurt that the band originally hails from Ohio, and that Sufjan Stevens contributes on piano. Definitely in my top five favorite albums of 2007 so far.

Pick it up at your local record store or DRM-free at emusic.