LIVE 2009 - PART II

"Live 2009 Part 2" is the better instalment of the 2 albums available in this series. The set list is better and it has some versions even better than the studio versions. There is a dynamic rendition of the melodic rocking Winter Mountain followed by The Dark Before the Dawn. My favourite version of Answer the Question is here with Heather Findlay sounding as passionate as ever dueting with Bryan Josh. He has a soft timbre on a 9 minute version of The Last Bright Light with very ambient textures and some glorious keyboards from Iain Jennings and divine harmonies. Josh's lead guitar break is incredible, with spacey reverb and strong string bending along the melodies and Olivia's flute playing.

Above the Blue is from "Glass Shadows" that Heather introduces as something a bit quieter, "a song that is sort of closing the door on an era of grandparents, seeing his father die a couple of years ago", and when she went to his funeral "out of the blue I bumped into the love of my life" and she had a son Harlem from all this. The piano tinkles with melancholy nuances and Heather sings intimately about this most personal of events in her life.

An upbeat portion of the show follows with three excellent rockers, Nowhere to Hide (Close my Eyes), Broken Glass and Never the Rainbow. This last track is a favourite of mine with its rollicking rhythm and Findlay's vocals soaring to the heavens; it was the first song I ever heard from the band. There is a brilliant moment where Bryan and Olivia spar off, his guitar battling against her high octave vocals. She can reach the highest notes and it is incredible to hear. This version is one of my favourite MA songs; it is an awesome tour de force of vocal technique and guitar.

Quieter songs follow with Pocket Watch, and the stirring Tearing at the Faerytale from "Glass Shadows". Then melancholy atmospheres in Carpe Diem. The set closes with Heroes Never Die, a vintage classic all MA fans know and this almost 10 minute version is terrific. The lead break is towering, ending the concert on an uplifting mood and bringing the crowd to their feet.

This concert album is best heard with the Part 1 album but is definitely the better of the two due to the song choices and overall atmosphere. The production is pristine and it is fantastic to hear Findlay one more time before she moved on. This is a concert to savour and I am pleased it has been captured so well on this album set.