10 songs that feel like Start a War
Matched to Start a War by The National on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).
98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).
Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (125 BPM).
98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Measured 98% alike.
Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.
A 98% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Start a War is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 24/100, down from 41. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 19/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. 16/100, versus the original's 41. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 19/100, down from 41. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 28/100.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 23/100, versus the original's 41.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Start a War” by The National?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “royal screw up” by Soccer Mommy, “Ashes of American Flags” by Wilco, “Everything Reminds Me of Her” by Elliott Smith — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.
What songs are like “Start a War” but calmer?
“Pictures of Me” by Elliott Smith, “It's Too Late” by Carole King, “Dumb” by Nirvana keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Start a War”?
It measures 41/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 120 BPM.
How do you decide which songs are similar?
Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 35% of songs, calmer than the other 65%. Its intensity reading of 41/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 79% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2007 in context
The 311 songs we’ve measured from 2007 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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