Like
Sarah McLachlan's multi-platinum-selling Mirrorball from 1999,
Afterglow Live relies on the breathy Canadian's fluid and faultless vocals and performances -- by
McLachlan and band alike -- that are so spot-on that they may well have been cut in the studio. The recording follows the singer through her summer tour, a jaunt that ended up in her hometown of Vancouver -- the 15 tracks are culled from a pair of shows in Toronto. While heavy on material from the 2003 release that gives the record its name,
McLachlan classics like "Building a Mystery" and "Sweet Surrender" sound as reliable as ever. But the real meat here is the accompanying 23-track DVD, featuring behind-the-scenes footage, live performances, and videos, specifically director Sophie Muller's confrontational short for "World on Fire," which features
McLachlan performing over displays that compare the costs of video production with those of food and medical supplies. ~ James Christopher Monger