There was a time when you knew what you were going to get from a live album. Double vinyl, gatefold sleeve, a couple of hours of over the top rock music with a drum solo thrown in for good measure. Fantastic. But the whole unplugged thing has changed all that, and these days it’s as much about sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar as it is flying a stage down into the middle of the audience (Queen Live Killers, if you were wondering).
Unsurprisingly, Juliet Turner’s album fits into the more modern way of thinking, less Live & Dangerous, more Live & Quiet At The Back Please. As a snapshot of three nights at Dundalk’s Spirit Store in August – and hats off for eschewing the usual Dublin venues – it’s a bit odd. The atmosphere never really kicks in and the fade between each song creates a strange feeling of detachment. Only a swinging version of ‘Take The Money And Run’ really sees the party get started.
As a document of where Turner finds herself as an artist however, it’s very interesting. The mainstream sheen of ‘Season Of The Hurricane’ has been completely abandoned in favour of a more organic sound that really gets inside the material, much of it stretched out to new, seven minute plus lengths. It suits the songs, with only the ambitious ‘Rough Lion’s Tongue’ sounding slightly lacking. Her version of Kate Rusby’s take on the traditional ‘Sweet Bride’ is inspired, suggesting that an excursion into folk music might be a wise next move.
Whatever happens though, Live once more confirms that, in a music scene awash with singer-songwriters, Juliet Turner stands tall.