The National – Rome

It’s been a prolific period for The National with two acclaimed albums released in 2023, ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’ and ‘Laugh Track’. Following the release of the two LPs the band brought their mesmeric live shows to the UK and Europe in 2024 with a set at Glastonbury and resounding show at Crystal Palace. Fans are now given the opportunity to luxuriate in Matt Berringer and co’s live sound with the release of their latest live album a double LP taken from their show in Rome in June 2024. Of course the band is already a force to be reckoned with in the studio but there is something transformative about their live shows and this album does a fine job of capturing this, with a set that spans their ten studio albums.

Runaway from 2010’s ‘High Violet’ is the perfect show starter, slow and atmospheric putting Berringer’s vocals on full display. ‘High Violet’ in fact makes up the largest share of tracks with seven, showing its importance for the band within a string of stunning albums. This segues into the more indie sounds of ‘Eucalyptus’, one of the most anthemic tracks from 2023’s albums, given the soaring live treatment. It has a real dynamism to it live. Along with ‘Tropic Morning News’ and ‘New Order T-Shirt’ this features a segment of the show built around the first of their 2023 releases, with the tracks clearly resonating with the audience.

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‘Don’t Swallow The Cap’ from ‘Trouble Will Find Me’, sounds mammoth live with a real propulsive energy, Berringer’s straining vocals add to the track’s power. This leads into one of the band’s finest works with ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’, always a treat live and certainly living up to its reputation here.

Perhaps the only slight blemish on an otherwise excellent live album is the smaller representation for ‘Sleep Well Beast’ and ‘Boxer’, two of the band’s most loved albums, although ‘Fake Empire’ from the latter of these two sounds spectacular. With a catalogue as vast as The National’s it is hard to give each era its due and the set for the most part does balance the band’s catalogue well.

The album is a brilliant encapsulation of The National’s euphoric live shows and while not quite the same as attending the show, gives a great representation of how well their sound translates to live venues. The band’s blend of baroque and alternative rock, sounds immense live and this show has rightly been selected as a testament to that. This is also a perfect bridge to whenever the group release their next material and with 21 tracks is somewhat of an early Christmas present for the band’s legion of fans.

8/10

Words: Christopher Connor

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