Rating: NNNN
In most cases, only a band’s diehard fans love their live albums, which are often a cheap way to buy time between studio albums. But when you’ve got a stunningly beautiful voice like Antony Hegarty’s, you can get away with it. He’s the kind of singer who makes people remember what they were doing when they first heard him. Hearing him let loose over lush arrangements played by the Danish National Chamber Orchestra is immensely pleasurable, even if the title cut is the only new song.
Many of the older songs, though, have been significantly reworked. It’s hard to picture Hegarty any more dramatic, but an orchestra definitely lends an epic quality to the music. Second track Future Feminism is an odd interlude featuring Hegarty talking about religion, patriarchy, gender and ecology for almost eight minutes. While you might be tempted to skip it, spending some time trying to absorb what he’s getting at gives you a much richer context in which to appreciate his songwriting.
Top track: I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy
