Album Review: Colin Meloy Sings Live!

Following the recent release of two solo EP’s filled with covers of Morrissey and Shirley Collins, Decemberists front man Colin Meloy turns the focus to himself with his new full length solo acoustic album, Colin Meloy Sings Live!

There are a host of classic Decemberists tracks to choose from here, as well as a track from Meloy’s previous band, Tarkio, a Shirley Collins cover, and the fantastic unreleased tune, “Wonderful”. Meloy’s trademark nasal crooning flits around each of these songs, making them sound warm and inviting despite the sparse instrumental arrangement. The between song banter and crowd chatter are kept to a minimum, but still provide enough personality and wittiness to recreate the feeling of being at a live show.

A particularly humorous moment comes with a performance of the unfinished track “Dracula’s Daughter” which is prefaced by Meloy saying that it is the worst song that he ever wrote. He proceeds to launch into the particularly wacky cut to great comedic effect. Other standouts are “The Gymnast, High Above The Ground”, and the epic “California One/Youth And Beauty Brigade”.

Despite the warm “around the campfire” vibe, the songs performed here just don’t sound that much different from their originally recorded counterparts. As a result, fans, particularly those who have not seen Meloy or the Decemberists live, will marvel at the intimate glimpse this release gives into Colin Meloy’s live prowess. Newcomers or casual fans will simply scratch their heads and pick up a Decemberists studio release instead.

Colin Meloy-Wonder

Tour: My Bloody Valentine Returns to the States

After a 16 year hiatus, the sultans of shoegaze will grace the ol US of A with their presence on stage at the annual All Tomorrows Party’s festival and six other U.S. dates. What I wouldn’t give to create a device that would extract me from finals week to any one of those dates…sigh. In any event its time to blow the dust off of your Loveless LP and get down. I haven’t done it in a while, and I highly recommend it to anyone else who hasn’t. Plus it makes great late night studying music.

More tour info HERE