Before Global Tour, a ‘National’ Welcome

“They’re gonna kick us all out for the disco show,” apologized Matt Berninger, lead singer of The National, at the Roxy in Boston. With the sell-out crowd laughing despite the statement’s painful truth, he and his band then wrapped up their set just as it had begun: with layered guitars, a strong beat, and enough energy to fill the room.

About to head over to Europe in continued support of their critically-acclaimed new album “Boxer,” The National managed to show just what all the hype’s about. With Berninger’s burly pipes channeling the lonely knell of Nick Cave, the lyrical moroseness was palpable in the dark nightclub air.

The rest of the band (which includes two sets of brothers) pushed back and forth against one another to achieve an energy and sonic tension that both offset and accentuated the gloom of love and loss, matching the emotional rise and fall beat for beat.

Despite a discography stretching back almost a decade, the band played only one song from an album other than “Boxer” or 2005’s rhythmically dour “Alligator.” While their decision not to play older favorites may seem strange, it makes sense given the pattern of The National’s rise to popularity. It took months for “Alligator” to gain full appreciation (a “grower,” everyone called it), and the fan-base has slowly expanded again since the release of “Boxer.”

So most fans at Saturday’s show had probably signed on sometime in the last few months, and the band’s set-list seemed tailored to their desires. Whereas something from their debut album might’ve gone under-appreciated, songs like “All the Wine” from “Alligator” were greeted with the ecstatic howls usually reserved for ancient rarities or decade-old classics. When the band eased into the slower “About Today” (thus reaching all the way back to 2004’s “Cherry Tree” EP), fan response was positively tepid compared to the roars elicited by “Fake Empire” or “Start A War,” two tracks from the new album.

This bias toward recent material wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The fraternal rhythm section formed by Bryan (drums) and Scott (bass) Devendorf anchored each song, just as they do on the albums, forcing the sea of hipsters into head-bobbing and foot-tapping throughout the night.

Instruments were traded freely between the string players, with Padma Newsome rocking out along with guitarist-brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner. This gave Berninger time to shuffle away to gulp some fluids to repair his growled-out throat. Each song climaxed after the lyrics, escalating until, in a crashing crescendo, a deafening richness was achieved at the end of every song.

The songs rarely strayed from studio versions (again, perhaps a nod to new fans in search of something fresh yet familiar), which actually wasn’t a negative. Berninger’s conversational singing style, an evocative baritone, suited the space well, as did his brief suspensions of composure, as when he casually threw his mic-stand backstage on the last song.

Slower songs, such as “Daughters of the SoHo Riots” and “About Today,” were a nod to Doveman, who opened. His set utilized a number of National members; he concealed his vocals behind a pleasant, plodding wall of sound, at the centerpiece of which was the novel juxtaposition of banjo and keyboard.

Overall, The National hit all the right notes on Saturday night. Almost every song builtslowly, driven along by catchy rhythm and the gradual escalation of Berninger’s mournful singing. Attention to melody, faithfulness to studio style, and moderate portions of unleashed rocking-out can only bode well for an eager reception in Europe this fall, and for the continual coalescence of support back home.

Low-risk and high-reward, the baroque pop of The National continues to support the theory that they’re here to stay.

—Reviewer Henry M. Cowles can be reached at hmcowles@fas.harvard.edu.