IEYL 2022 Music Recap: Live Albums Of The Year

A list of my favorite live albums released in 2022

3. Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden) — Florence + The Machine

More than half of the time, I believe Florence Welch is more than merely human. When she’s on stage she flaunts around in her floral silk dress like a fantastical fairy or mystical character from Celtic folklore.

I found her 2022 live album, Dance Fever, fully immersive and loving. Florence exudes so much good and positivity in both her talks between songs and in the tone of her voice. She is practically bringing the crowd into a group meditative state of collective healing post COVID.

I think Florence worded it best when she noted how this album was a “As a testament to this time, and a full circle moment. For an album so much about the loss of live music. To have a recording of the return means so much to me.”

All of the hits are there, including fan favorites that haven’t been performed in over a decade. Make sure to have some tissues on deck when you’re listening to this live experience because Florence’s beautiful vocals may just bring you to tears.

Florence has been a steady and reliable presence in the pop world since the late 2000’s. Her otherworldly yodeling-like voice woke up a empowered a generation to continually search for love and love themselves. After the shocking isolating put on by the pandemic it is no surprise that an an artist like Florence released an album that speaks so clearly to the unity that was loss during that period.

Fortunately, with this album she reasserts herself in that old way, where the bonds between us are more important and salvageable than the internal mental barriers that sometimes hold us back.

2. Live Sessions From Air Studios — Hikaru Utada

The Japanese pop sensation, Hikaru Utada, dropped an extraordinary album called Live Sessions From Air Studios in 2022. In it, she demonstrated her commitment to her latest electronic musical evolution. The studio album, BAD MODE, was filled with wonderfully synthetic beats and production arrangements.

In order to reinforce her presence in J-Pop and showcase again how serious of a musician she is, Utada strips back and sings all of her songs from the BAD live and with live instruments.

If you’re unfamiliar with the video recordings of these songs then I highly recommend looking those up. You can find a few on YouTube (some of which I shared in this piece). Utada also partnered with Netflix to have the live recordings shared on their. In the videos you can feel the intimate nature of these professional records and the steady leadership Utada asserts in moving instrumentalist around and letting them know when to start. The video is a great accompaniment to the standard live audio recordings.

In previous posts I have complemented the BAD MODE’s album’s “EDM charm” and “melody-driven vocals”. I also applaud how vulnerable she gets with the listener after a series of dramatic life events. Amazingly, Utada’s unabashed self-criticism across the BAD MODE feels all the more sincere and humane in these live sessions.

Utada accomplishes this by singing in a venue that made here voice cut through the mic more closely and more intimately. It practically feels like you’re in the room with her on this live album.

Further, her presence rises more profoundly on top of the live instruments, versus the synthetic ones on BAD. Through these raw and unfiltered reconstructions of an amazingly mature and vulnerable EDM record we get closer to the larger-than-life pop icon and see the person behind the star power and fame.

1. Live at Bon Soir — Barbra Streisand

I could only imagine what it most have been like to be in the audience during this historic performance. Part of the audience were already familiar to Streisand’s talents thanks to hear two years of experience performing at the Greenwich Village night club. For them, they knew the quality of performance they were going to receive.

For those unfamiliar with Streisand, the night must’ve been peculiar. David Kapralik, a Columbia Records executive, started the night with exceptionally high praise for Streisand. He described her as a “singular artist” who couldn’t be “put into any category”. When the New York native got on stage she contrastingly looked quite harmless, small, and devoid of much confidence.

At that point, the unfamiliar side of the audience must’ve been perplexed by the hyperbolic language in the introduction. Nevertheless, once she opened her mouth up to sing, I’m sure all of that changed.

The recording was originally designed to be debut studio album, which was interestingly supposed to be a live album. Columbia Records ultimately decided to use her studio recordings in place of the live ones. While their decision was rewarded and then some (Streisand’s debut won the Grammy for the album of the year) there’s close to no decrease in quality when it comes to these live recordings. In fact, these renditions of classic Streisand tunes may sound ever better than their studio counterparts.

When you listen to this album, prepare to fall in love with a young Streisand. Not only is her personality cute and charming in these recordings but her skills are on serious display. The excellent updated mixing takes the listener on an hour plus journey at the Bon Soir, settled into the audience, fully engrossed in the virtuoso singing of the legendary singer.

The songs Barbara chose for this project were special as well. From obscure broadway songs to 1930’s hits the nightclub veteran strengthened her technique through these songs. Even the lead up to this recording included a stint in broadway, depicting a secretary in the play I Can Get It for You Wholesale. The unbelievable strength and range of Streisand’s voice will be sure to stop you in your tracks during the initial listen.

It surely stopped me in my tracks.

Her reimaginings and expressive takes on the tunes were a sight to see. Little did the crowd of those three nights know, the artist in front of them was ushering in a new era of pop musicians who sung virtuoso, and weren’t afraid to make their voices loud, and their presence felt to all those who got to witness them sing live.

Writer Recommendation Corner: I get new inspiration from different writers all the time. This week, thank you to this bunch :D Robin Slick The Evil Geek Davíð Matthías

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