The Twilight Singers: "Live In New York" (mini-review)

Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers are one of the rare bands that can make you feel filthy just by listening to the record.  That's a good thing.  Having never seen them live, I'm glad to have the new album Live In New York to confirm that they can do the same thing in person.

This performance was captured at New York's Webster Hall this year on Friday the 13th of May (perfect for the band).  The 19-tracks of the concert are a fairly balanced, offering a good sampling of the band's entire catalogue.

They are delivered with the ominous intensity that you'd expect from The Twilight Singers.  A sprawling "Bonnie Brae" being one of the standouts.

In the calmer moments the vocal recording is a bit shaky, but that's to be expected.  Besides, with Dulli's throat-stripping screams those calm moments never last too long anyway.

I feel that stage banter and crowd noise are crucial elements of a good live record.  Without them, what's the point of having a live record?  I never go the appeal of those sterile iTunes sessions.  There's no worry about that here as the audience and Dulli don't shy away from interacting.

Verdict: Buy It