In step with the back-to-basics theme, the Nationwide reunite with longtime collaborator Peter Katis. Katis polished up beloved albums like Boxer and Excessive Violet, however was largely absent from 2023’s First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Snicker Observe in favor of Aaron Dessner’s Lengthy Pond compatriot Jonathan Low (of Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore). Japandroids’ Brian King has mused that Katis’ Nationwide information are sometimes blended like hip-hop, with drums and vocals taking precedence, and that’s by no means been extra true than on Rome. Devendorf’s drums overwhelm the remainder of the band within the combine, as if Katis and firm are overcompensating for years of synth dominance. The guitars aren’t simply texture however an lively a part of the band, lending weight to Frankenstein highlights “Tropic Morning Information” and the already energetic “Alien.” Each tune is so maximal that among the newer, quieter tracks undergo barely: “New Order T-Shirt,” an enthralling ’90s-adult-alternative homage on Frankenstein, feels inappropriately epic.
The success of a given efficiency falls on Berninger, although, and his vocals are sadly inconsistent all through. His baritone has turn into extra nasal as a substitute of deeper like his inspirations, sacrificing among the gravitas. The “ahs” within the bridge of “Humiliation” sound flat, not simply in pitch however in have an effect on; the viewers sounds extra in tune than he does on “I Want My Woman.” When Berninger audibly enters the group, it’s endearing to image his absurdly lengthy mic wire and his Matt Wrangler trailing behind—however for these unfamiliar with the scene, it’s simply as more likely to sound as if he’s out of breath and off-key. His looseness can hamper the band in live performance the identical approach Aaron Dessner’s tastefulness does within the studio, and this recording received’t persuade anybody not already used to Berninger antics.
Rome’s extra esoteric decisions solely emphasize the unlikeliness of this band getting this far. Cynical, misanthropic lyrics from Unhappy Songs for Soiled Lovers like “You would have been a legend/However you grew to become a father,” from “Slipping Husband” (not current right here, however additionally performed on tour) really feel unusual coming from somebody who’s seemingly managed each within the intervening years. Angst by no means fairly match the Nationwide the way in which sentiment did, so it’s jarring to listen to them deliver out Unhappy Songs’ darkish, cryptic “Homicide Me Rachael” after they’ve outgrown it. Alligator observe “Lit Up” satirically imagines the band as an ephemeral hype act with a gun-toting bodyguard, but it surely doesn’t hit fairly the identical from the group that unironically wrote a tune about its tour supervisor. These alternatives are reminders of a darkness the band has largely shed: You don’t write, “It’s a standard fetish for a doting man/To ballerina on the espresso desk, cock in hand” considering you’ll sooner or later promote out Madison Sq. Backyard.
