Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

On the last night of a two-month US/Canada tour in 2009, the soundman for the critically acclaimed Montana-based singer/songwriter Luke Dowler decided to record the gig. Now, six years later, Dowler has decided to make the recording available to his fans via Noisetrade. It captures all the energy of his performance (and in Dowler's case, despite being a man, his guitar and a looper, that's a lot of energy). There are some good things here such as when he plays solos over his own backing, but there are also problems. The vocal is a bit distorted in places and the audience seems a bit far away but there's no mistaking the quality in Luke's guitar playing while his vocals on the gentle "Gabby's Song" work well. My favourite track is "Hero (An Anthem For The Apathetic)" (and not just because I really liked the title) and a couple of the other numbers demonstrate skillful songcraft.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.