Musical Thesis: The National "Alligator"

Reviews
Written By Nathan Box

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. The National's "Alligator is an emotional haul. With songs focused on American manhood, this album asks us to get in touch with a side of ourselves often ignored. For most of us men, this often means focusing on our glory days. We look back with longing and remember fondly how much better things used to be. Here, The National isn't asking us to look backward, rather, they are demanding we assess ourselves in the present moment. Most of us rarely do this. We rarely live in the moment fully realizing its sublime potential. Never before have I encountered an album or band that has demanded this much. For me, that's a good thing. 

Be good to each other, 

-Nathan 

Nathan Box
Hello! My name is Nathan. I've always believed I would meet that special someone in one of two places; either a record store or a book store. Maybe I need to amend? I moved to Seattle in February of 2011 from Oklahoma City (Try and not hold the Sonics/Thunder thing against me). I knew I wanted to work for a nonprofit and go to grad school. Within a couple of months, I was doing both. During the day, I work as a Fund Developer and Community Relations Manager for a nonprofit in Kent and at night I try to stay as busy as possible volunteering, trying new restaurants, finding hidden bars and exploring Seattle. The past few years has been both terrifying and exhilarating. I have done things on my own I didn’t think were within my capability. I love being outdoors. On any given weekend, I can be found hiking, on a road trip, volunteering, at a museum, seeing a movie (I see a lot of them). I am passionate about nonprofit work. I feel called to leave a mark on this world. Nothing against those who enjoy making tons of money, I just need to know I am making a difference.
natetheworld.squarespace.com
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