In the explanatory paragraph inside Luka Bloom’s first live record, the artist admits that such an endeavor was “something I never wanted to do, until now”. Given this Irishman’s extraordinary talent as a live performer and his ability to interpret other writer’s songs, history, not timing, should have carried the project.
Amsterdam, recorded last year at a concert in the city that lends its name, is more than adequate for what it is: a contemporary, 13-track album that consistently strikes the right balance between Bloom’s dynamic voice (“Diamond Mountain”) and his crisp, rhythmic guitar playing (“Perfect Groove”). Song selection touches on most of Bloom’s catalog, and sequencing generally hits the mark, too: just over the half-way through, the set takes off, ending with the obligatory reading of “Delirious”, from Bloom’s 1990 major label debut, Riverside.
The shortcomings stem from what this record isn’t: long enough. The gig lasted over two hours, but the disc clocks in at just over 50 minutes. Covers, including Mike Scott’s “Sunny Sailor Boy”, Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love”, and Bob Marley’s “Natural Mystic” reveal Bloom’s range of influences. The performances, however, only hint at his in-concert mastery of covers that in the past has embraced T Bone Burnett, Prince, and LL Cool J.
Perhaps the choice to issue a disc from one evening’s performance dictated the result. Asking it to encompass over two decades of soulful performances and material isn’t quite fair. Expectations, however, rarely diminish with the passing of time.
