For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

Five of my Top 15 favorite tracks from The National are from the Boxer album. It’s a testament to how good this album really is. What made Boxer particularly unique is that the songs go together exceptionally well as a unit, but they’re also more than strong enough to shine on their own. Some of the band’s best songs hail from Boxer, but one of my favorites has always been one of the least heralded tracks: “Ada”.

“Ada” flies under the radar because it starts off quiet and unassuming on an album with other songs that tend to grab your attention in their first few seconds. But the thing about it is it builds gradually with this intense, yet quiet kind of tenacity. The piano parts were recorded by guest collaborator and fellow Brooklynite Sufjan Stevens. It is one of the finest piano-driven tracks from The National — from the opening trills to the closing chords. But there’s also an orchestral element to “Ada” that adds a dark richness to the song with intermittent french horns and strings.

“Stand inside an empty tuxedo with grapes in my mouth, waiting for Ada.”