When it comes to live albums, artists need to be very, very careful in the execution of both the concert being recorded for the album, and the final product of the album itself.
From the sound quality being off—too loud, too soft, too harsh-- to the artist not realizing that the amount of talking usually done in a concert might not work well on a record, to just losing the overall vibe of the performance, there’s a lot that can go awry on live albums.
Luckily, Atlanta-based rock band Sun Domingo does a pretty good job of avoiding these issues on the recently released Live in Montreal, Marillion Weekend 09.
The trio, made up of Jason Pomar, Edgel Groves, Jr., and Nathan Lathouse, give a performance that is totally in sync the entire way through. This is easy enough to accomplish when recording in a studio, but to be consistently spot-on with each other throughout a live concert? Impressive.
Musically speaking, Sun Domingo maintains an excellent balance. No instrument is more prominent than the others, nor does the overall effect of the instruments overpower the vocals. Rather, the instrumentals and vocals serve as complements for each other, creating a brilliant cohesion. Lead vocalist Jason Pomar’s voice has a few points where it sounds strained, but it’s hardly distracting or off-putting.
As for those little problems that live albums can run into? Barely present. Live in Montreal does a great job of translating the feel of the live performance to a recorded, second-hand listening experience.
The sound quality is good, the talking is kept to a minimum (perhaps a little too minimal), and the music itself is performed well. The atmosphere of the concert at which the album was recorded comes across through the music, giving the listener a live album that actually feels as though you’re getting pretty close to the actual experience of attending the concert, rather than feeling the disconnect found on so many live albums. The music is fairly mellow rock, which makes it a lot easier to imagine yourself at the concert, and helps to make the album a success.
All told, Live in Montreal, Marillion Weekend 09 is one of the best live albums I’ve heard. I definitely recommend having a listen.
Hot Tracks: Santa Teresa, Mad Maze, Immigrant Song
June 20, 2010
