Colin Meloy

What impresses most about this selection of performances from his solo 2006 tour is how infrequently you miss Mr. Meloy’s fellow Decemberists. Sure, you might anticipate an accordion swell that doesn’t come or a female vocal harmony to fill in a chorus but with his white T, 12-string acoustic and spectacles, Colin muddles through just fine. The bulk of the songs are given fairly straightforward treatments, with occasional bonus titbits for spice, such as a few bars of Fleetwood Mac’s "Dreams” to cap off "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” or instrumental snatches of Pink Floyd and R.E.M. slipped into "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade,” in turn given a coda covering "Ask” by the Smiths. Meloy’s solo tours have featured exclusive EPs of covers for sale, including one of Morrissey songs and one of ’60s British folk artist Shirley Collins, whose "Barbara Allen” he covers at the centre of this album. Another little peek behind the curtain is his offer to play "the worst song I ever wrote,” a truncated verse/chorus ditty called "Dracula’s Daughter.” You see how even high-minded indie darlings can have off days. Whether you view Meloy as a ne’er do-well or a nerd-do-well, this is a hard collection to fault as a fun if mostly unsurprising time.