Earlier this year, the five-piece band known as The National toured as the opening act for The Arcade Fire, a Montreal band with a thundering orchestral sound.
The National has orchestral ambitions of its own; its fifth album Boxer uses lush strings, clunky old pianos and assorted brass instruments to create odd, image-rich nighttime music.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.