Ireland’s favourite troubadour is back with the second live album of his career. Originally released in the U.S. on Record Store Day back in April, Live At The 9:30 Club documents the Idaho native’s sold-out stopover at the Washington D.C. venue last October – a ‘perfect night’, if Ritter’s sleeve notes are anything to go by.
Live albums are always very much hit-and-miss, however, and though Ritter makes a fair fist of his setlist (all but one track taken from The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter), his quivering, country-twang warble seems overwhelmed by his band at various points. ‘Mind’s Eye’, ‘Rumors’ and ‘Right Moves’ are given solid run-throughs, but never threaten to outshine their recorded counterparts.
There is a silver lining, however: songs which were very obviously made for a live audience (‘To The Dogs Or Whoever’, the excellent ‘Real Long Distance’ and scatty, crowd-enthusing hoe-down ‘Next To The Last Romantic’) are all infectiously likeable, while the stripped-down acoustic numbers (‘The Temptation Of Adam’, ‘Lawrence, KS’) showcase the subtle nuances of his style.
If you’re still waiting to be impressed by a Josh Ritter release, you’ll probably be waiting a bit longer; Live At The 9:30 Club is unlikely to incite you to rush out to buy tickets for his next tour. Ardent devotees will lap this up, though – as well as the three included videos, and two bonus tracks recorded in front of a giddy audience in Waterford last year.
Key Track: ‘Real Long Distance’