Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Listening notes

Inside Live at the Royal Albert Hall

By Alex Vale

Live at the Royal Albert Hall does not hide the album being toured. “Sunday Girl” opens; “I Could Fall in Love With You,” “Fly Away,” “Storm in a Teacup,” “Sucker for Love,” and “When a Lover Leaves You” keep Light at the End of the World present throughout the set.

That commitment distinguishes the recording from a ceremonial hits night in a prestigious room. “Blue Savannah,” “Chains of Love,” “Chorus,” and “Sometimes” provide the familiar choruses, and the songs from 2007 hold their place among those familiar favorites.

Choose this live album when you want one tour era represented clearly. It is less intimate than the Union Street documents and less retrospective than a compilation; its value is the sound of the then-new songs sharing a set with established favorites.