Rome [2LP], The National, Vinyl

“You have to see them in concert,” is what fans of The National have been preaching for years. “The songs transform. It’s a whole other level.” Recorded live (without overdubs) in June 2024 at an architecturally stunning venue named for famed Italian film composer Ennio Morricone, Rome is the definitive live document of The National. The 21-track double album is truly career spanning, and showcases scintillating versions of beloved songs like “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” “I Need My Girl,” “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness,” “England” and “Fake Empire”; plus sharpened readings of recent tracks “Eucalyptus,” “New Order T-Shirt,” “Tropic Morning News” and the boundary-pushing “Smoke Detector.” The National’s setlist changes significantly show to show, revisiting their 25-year catalog to cast fresh light on hidden gems. For Rome that includes the show opener “Runaway,” “Lemonworld,” “The Geese of Beverly Road,” “Lit Up” and a tour de force pairing of “Humiliation” from their critically acclaimed album Trouble Will Find Me into Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers’ “Murder Me Rachael.” The Rome encore features the election anthem “Mr. November,” and, from High Violet, “Terrible Love” and the show-closing fan singalong, “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.” The live album was mixed by the band’s longtime collaborator Peter Katis. Reviewing a National performance this summer, NME wrote that “every song is played like it could be the last.” Rome captures that playing-for-keeps urgency on record and serves not merely as a concert souvenir but the latest vital addition to the band’s peerless catalog.