I’ve spent the past few days with my digital promo copy of Dark Was the Night, the 31-song benefit compilation curated/produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of the National that is due out on 4AD on Feb. 17.

The compilation is an extraordinary feat just from a logistical standpoint. The roster of musicians they’ve gathered for this is astounding: The New Pornographers, Feist, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Ben Gibbard, Sufjan Stevens and on and on. (See the tracklisting here.)

But one of my favorite tracks so far comes from Yeasayer, a band that, quite honestly, raised my level of indifference amid all the buzz. Yet, based on my iTunes library’s play count, I’ve listened to Tightrope far more than the compilation’s other tracks (except for the National’s So Far Around the Bend).

What attracts me to Tightrope more than anything on All Hour Cymbals I haven’t quite figured out yet. (OK, I love 2080, but who didn’t?) It’s a song the band has been playing live for the past year, and the studio version – with its infectious world-inspired rhythms – is outstanding.

Here’s a video of Yeasayer performing the song for Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current in October. … Crap. I probably need to revisit All Hour Cymbals, huh?