Redemption 10: Live At Blue Rock
Berkalin, 2019
8/10
Listen to Redemption 10: Live At Blue Rock
A full band recording of her now decade old debut album Redemption, Libby Koch and company cut this set live in the studio with a small audience to help capture the intimacy of the project.
“Houston” starts the set with Koch’s gritty yet pretty vocals that soar as pedal steel, mandolin and violins guide the opener, and “Just The Way” follows with harmonica and rugged melodies on the breezy Americana tune.
Deeper into the recording, “Stay With Me” offers a bare, expressive folk-influenced highlight, while “Redemption” illustrates skilled picking in the emotive, reflective setting.
Near the end, “Don’t Give Up On Me” recruits a swift pace with gorgeous interplay between the instruments as piano really adds much to the formula, and the upbeat strumming of “Ready Now” unfolds with a timeless rural beauty. The lone cover, “I Still Miss Someone”, ends the listen, and Koch interprets it as good as anyone has with her moving pipes alongside deft musicianship.
Originally released as a solo acoustic album, this version of Redemption clearly illustrates how much Koch has grown as an artist in the last decade, as she sounds more confident and precise than ever.
Travels well with: Susan Gibson- The Hard Stuff; Helene Cronin- Old Ghosts & Lost Causes