Showered and blue-blazered

Off in some alternate email universe, five music geeks continue their cataloging of The Greatest Song In The World This Week. These five songs are now being ordered, which is either "being judged by Paul" or "put in their natural order, which is then reported back by Paul", depending on which version you choose to believe. I consistently get the low post, which I'm strangely proud of.

I'm sharing with the rest of you: The Greatest Song In The World This Week is off of the upcoming National album Boxer called "Mistaken For Strangers" (listen)

The National has always been an odd band for me, one of those "greater than the sum of its parts" bands. The vocals seem to be both overly sincere and totally put on at the same time, and this band is infected what I feel is one of the worst ailments that any rock band can suffer from: ham-fisted drumming. Does anything say "no soul" like drums that are hit with exactly the same force every time?

Yet...The National are a fun R!O!C!K! listen, and there's some great lyrics on both of their albums (line of 2007 so far: "We'll stay inside 'til somebody finds us/Do whatever TV tells us"). But their success is in their mystery hooks. You're not exactly sure why you like the song, why the mono-melodic line of "You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends" explodes out from the rest of the song with an untraceable intensity, why you need to hear it again...but it's all there and irresistable.

Greatest song in the world this week? It will not be judged. Publicly.