"Colin Meloy Sings Live!" by Colin Meloy (Kill Rock Stars) - Out now

When a band's singer does the semi-required solo tour, it can go down one of a few ways: 1. He or she plays acoustic versions of the bands' hits before adoring crowds; or 2. He or she plays some of their own tripe before adoring crowds.

As long as the band's still popular, the fans are going to lap it up. It's a time-tested formula that's led many a front man out on the road sans accompaniment. Maybe it's to stave off boredom, maybe it's to show they can do it on their own. 

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists has made these solo jaunts a bit of a habit - all of them sandwiched between work with his band, of course. To his credit, he has fun with it. For his first solo tour, in 2005, he recorded six Morrissey covers and sold the EP only at his shows. In 2006, he did the same with covers of British folkie Shirley Collins. It was this 2006 tour that yielded the tunes on "Colin Meloy Sings Live!" (His current tour features "Colin Meloy Covers Sam Cooke.")

What transpires on "Colin Meloy Sings Live" is a mix of Decemberists tunes, a few originals, a Shirley Collins cover and gobs of between-song banter.

It's that banter - like any great live recording - that sets this apart from the usual acoustic greatest hits blather. But in taking away the band, Meloy comes away sounding a lot more emo than rock. In other words, way too serious. In fact, he's at his best when he's playing silly tunes, such as "A Cautionary Tale" and "Vampire's Daughter," sadly discarded, until now.

And even though the tunes are sharply delivered with bits and pieces of Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd mixed in, most of what you find here is standard coffeehouse fare. It's a fun listen but little more than a love note to his Decemberists fans.

Download this now: "Vampire's Daughter"

Where to get it:
Amazon

iTunes