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

By the time Alligator reared its head on the indie music scene, The National seemed intent on purging its alt country and americana roots and devouring a sound more closely associated with rock. They rocked harder with songs like “Mr. November”, “Abel” and “Lit Up”. But the song that has had the most staying power for me off this seminal album is the slower, acoustic-driven “Daughters of the Soho Riots”.

Let’s start with the song title. The name did a quite a bit to exude greatness even before you listened to it. Soho. And riots. The way those two words strung together established an immediate tension and attraction. But musically, it had a quiet strength and resilience. When I first heard Alligator, it was far from my favorite track off the album. Other songs like “Secret Meeting”, “All the Wine” and the aforementioned tracks above were my favorites. But “Daughters of the Soho Riots” is the one track that has grown on me over time.

“Break my arms around the one I love.”