3 out of 5

Label: Polyvinyl

Producer: JOA?

According to the notes on this “these are studio recordings of the live versions of these songs” from ‘Eventually, All At Once,’ which is odd, because they sound like live recordings – which is part of the charm.  But maybe I don’t get what “studio” means, or maybe it’s “live in studio,” or… y’know, whatevs.

Anyhow, it’s a pretty quiet recording, rather rough – the edges show – but it allows the various instruments that sprinkle through the excellent first track “Many Time I’ve Mistaken” to really shine.  While JOA albums are generally semi-sloppy affairs in the sense that they might be improvised, the recordings are nonetheless shiny and slick, so it’s nice to hear this in a more raw format.  It gives me a sense of what the group would like at a show – which sounds like a lot of fun.  Although Kinsella hams up some vocals late in the song that sort of diminish the beauty of it, but playfulness is in the spirit of the group, so oh well.  The second track, “Eventually, All At Once” doesn’t fare as well in this format, as it’s a more repetitive, minimal song and actually benefits from a cleaner production.  The tracks would work better in reverse order, so you’re perked up by the close, but either way it’s a win and an okay, so we’ll give it a mid-rating.