Table of Content
The album’s accompanying DVD certainly enhances the experience by visually filling in some performance gaps that are more glaring with audio alone. The production value on the DVD is more than respectable and a bonus interview with Branch and Harp, albeit a very brief one, gives insight into the performers’ personalities. At the same time, the DVD doesn’t help the Wreckers gain much ground in the area of displaying a spark in their performance; there are still moments that lack a certain quality. Call it energy or stage presence or what you will, the set drags far too often. When Way Back Home is at its best, Branch, Harp, and their band display the type of energy and drive necessary to sustain a memorable live performance.
The buzzed about pop-country duo is comprised of Michelle Branch, the pop wunderkind who began churning out hit records at the age of 18, and country singer-songwriter Jessica Harp. The pair’s first release, Stand Still, Look Pretty broke in 2006 and received attention and acclaim, including a place on PopMatters‘ list of the best country albums of that year. Even with Branch’s pop pedigree and the positivity surrounding their debut, treading out into the live album waters at this point in the group’s history seems a risky venture. Way Back Home captures the band at a July 2007 performance at New York City’s famed Bowery Ballroom. Unfortunately, this sort of charisma and momentum only come in spurts; the overall lack thereof mars the translation of the Wreckers’ live experience to CD.
Way Back Home: Live at New York City
Though it starts with bluesy country riffs from both guitar and organ, the re-imagined Branch solo hit “Love Me Like That” suffers from muddy vocals that make an otherwise strong melody seem pretty mediocre. The title track suffers a similar fate for similar reasons. One exception is “Tennessee”, a ballad that tenderly communicates longings for home and genuine community. When an artist chooses to chronicle a concert, it can be an opportunity to provide an exciting look into elements of their musicianship, showmanship, and ability to translate their material to the masses. Live albums can also be an exercise in exposure, shining light onto aspects of an artist’s performance that might not be as polished as hoped for, revealing flaws in performance or even songwriting that studio magic can help to hide.
Live albums are usually an endeavor best undertaken by veteran acts with a large repertoire to draw from. These groups are more likely to have the presence of mind and the musical chops to both re-envision their songs and communicate fresh nuances to their audience. Artists with little time on the road or a relatively small catalog aren’t as apt to make a concert successful both for the audience in front of them and the one listening at home months or years later. Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment.
RebelMouse Performance Monitoring
In these moments, there is a focus and direction as well as a sense of why the group received such encouraging initial press. “Damn That Radio” is a defiant country-rock stomp to be proud of, a more heart-broken, honky-tonking cousin to REM’s classic “Radio Song”. Another upbeat tune, “My, Oh My”, highlights how good the vocal harmonies between the pair can be when they match each other in enthusiasm and vocal quality. “Different Truck, Same Loser” and “Lay Down” are other highlights.
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thewreckers Albums
Branch dedicates the latter to Harp and her fiancé, Jason Mowery (who plays a very mean fiddle in the Wreckers’ backing band).
