THE NATIONAL - A live band (final post)
The National's annoying refusal to release many official live recordings means that last year's Rome is the first traditional "live album" from them, taken from, as the title suggests, a portion of a 2024 gig in Genoa. * Obviously YouTube and the like exist, but sticking with official releases, it's been slim pickings until now. The National did do an NPR "Tiny Desk Concert" in 2013 - not on-brand for them at all, right? - playing acoustic versions of a few songs from the then newly-released Trouble Will Find Me . Setlist 1) This Is The Last Time 2) I Need My Girl 3) Pink Rabbits 4) Sea Of Love This format is a good showcase for Matt leaning into the role as frontman because so much of what they can do comes down to the volume and inflection of the singer; his range goes from wispy whimsical indie stuff to a gritty, bluesy delivery that reminds me a little of Ben Ottewell. ** Without meticulous studio editing, how do the National sound as ...