Acoustic Live, Vol. 1

Literary singer/songwriter Josh Ritter is no stranger to live albums, with *Acoustic Live, Vol. 1* being his fifth (not counting EPs) and the volume number suggesting there will be more. Ritter is the type of performer who benefits from the live setting. His storytelling takes on new life in front of a responsive audience, and the between-song banter here is as interesting as the career-spanning track selections. This set—recorded over two sold-out nights at the Sommerville Theater near Boston in March 2014—features Ritter with a sympathetic band that can wring cinematic drama and tension on a song like “Wings.”