The National stumbled into my field of hearing when I heard their track “Abel” on the excellent and free 2006 Pitchfork Music Festival Sampler over at eMusic. Their sound reminds me of a place where New Wave can take Alt-Country out for a quick spin on the dance floor and just for a moment urban angst is comfortable in the arms of country Gothic. Where a drawl touched with gravel and ennui rolls alongside the bright bending tones of a Gretsch semi-hollow body buoyed by delicate brush work by the drummer.

Alligator, for the most part, is a quiet album. There are no real barn burners, searing leads or explosive solos. It is headphone music that lopes along. It is a pleasant album but the compositions often feel to similar and threadbare in their starkness leaving me wanting for more; more dynamics, tempo shifts, key and time signature changes. Alligator just moves along to easily for much of the album making the soundscape feel like a road trip down much of America’s highways.

Like everything in this world, though, there is an exception. “Abel”, the track that drew me in, is a great homage to Springsteen’s work with the E Street band with its infectious hooks, plain yet soul baring lyrics, and shout out loud chorus of “My mind’s not right” shakes the album from its somnolent introspection, infusing it with energy for the remaining handful of songs and ending on “Mr. November” which belatedly addresses my desire for changes in the soundscape.

Alligator is a good album, solid in its execution, production, and lyricism but I found the best place for it was tucked into a more boisterous collection of albums to offer respite and temper an over abundance of energy. It is the perfect complement to a warm and lazy afternoon. You can find it over at eMusic.