MOGstars 7/10Live albums are a tricky thing to grasp. At times it’s a bit like listening into to someone else’s conversations, you understand what’s going on but the real meaning is lost – the music, no matter how accomplished, lacking the sparkle of a real show. Colin Meloy is the latest artist to navigate this minefield, with the release of his first solo album, Colin Meloy Sings Live!, an acoustic recording from last year’s tour. Decemberist fans will instantly recognise most of the tracks on here, with most of the tracks coming from the band’s back catalogue. But rather than your carbon copy live shows, this disc sees Meloy strip each one down to his own guitar and vocals, naturally imbuing each track with an obvious intimacy. Unsurprisingly the highlights are the best of The Decemberist’s songs. Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect becomes a flickering torch, stripped down to absolute essentials the track’s beauty is clearly apparent. Merging into a brief burst of The Corrs’ Dreams spike it with an interesting, yet ethereal twist. The Engine Driver is equally impressive, it’s refrain of “if you don’t love me let me go” becoming an magical incantation exchanged between Meloy and the crowd. The live vocals carry across some of the atmosphere as Meloy sounds even more heartfelt than ever. Yet nothing really lifts either of these tracks much above the original studio tracks. Some variation comes in the 3 previous unrelated tracks. One partial song Dracula’s Daughter is introduced as “the worst song I have ever written” judging from the partial verses about the pain of having a vampire for your dad, he is probably right, but as an amusing interlude it is impressive. Equally lovable is Meloy’s cover of 50’s folk chanteuse Shirley Collins’ _Barbary Allen_ (previously available only from the merch table). A traditional folk ballad this song plays to Meloy’s storyteller style and is certainly full of enthusiasm. Wonder is probably the best of the new songs however, not to distant from The Decemberists’ usual fare this solo effort resonates with heartfelt love and poetic imagery- you can almost picture the couples in the crowd holding each other close. However this live album fails for the reason most live albums fall short of the mark. It is clear from the recording that this was a brilliant show – the music is incredible, and the “banter” sections are clearly entertaining. But so much of it falls into the category that “you had be there”. On record the gig is often one-dimensional. You can sense the magical interaction between Meloy and the crowd, but feel unfortunately excluding from it. That is not to say that the album is without charm, but sadly it largely remains one for the die-hards or the one who really where there.