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Live albums are tricky. On the one hand, they are a great way for young bands to distribute their music without forking over all the time and money it takes to make a studio album. If done correctly, they are a treat for the fans as well as an invitation to check out the live show for the first time. On the other hand, it is impossible to transfer the energy of a live show onto a CD. Sometimes things are better left "in the moment" and can be disappointing when one attempts to relive a truly wonderful musical experience.
Signal Path's recent release Live is neither disappointing nor mind blowing. It is what it is: seven tracks, hand picked by the band members, recorded during their 2004 Fall Tour. The musicianship is excellent, the sound quality is outstanding (especially considering the tracks are from six different shows in different venues), and it is enjoyable to listen to from start to finish. Fans of the band will dig this album immensely, and newcomers will subconsciously nod their heads, curiously impressed with the understanding that they should see the band live.
Signal Path is a live electronica band, the emphasis on band. Although the music is clearly influenced by the DJ world, they always sound like a band playing live instead of attempting to reproduce electronic sounds verbatim. Musically, Live is very house-y, both downbeat and upbeat, with some drum and bass and trip-hop in between. The overall sound quality provides an extremely warm, welcoming, check-your-ego-at-the-door vibe. Upon listening to the album, it is obvious that their live shows are a ton of fun, very danceable and upbeat. Musical highlights include the dub and bass track "Approaching Phi," as well as "Genre," recorded last year at the High Sierra Music Festival featuring guest vocalist Sasha Butterfly, whose skills are good enough to be mistaken for a sample rather than a live performance.
Reminiscent of St. Germain, Signal Path's Live is musically strong enough to justify sitting down and listening to attentively, yet it's also confidently low-key enough to put on in the background while you focus on other tasks. It is not the Album of the Year, but that was not the intention. The band members and the engineers at Real Image Recording have constructed a truly enjoyable and enticing live record. Now let's see what these guys can do with a studio.
Chris Newton
JamBase | Colorado
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