Live at Nocturne II

The room noise on this one is perfect — you can hear glasses clinking between tunes, and it makes the whole thing feel like you're sitting three tables back. Second live record from that Denver club and honestly it's the better of the two.

Tom Amend's playing on this second live set feels looser and more adventurous than the first one, especially on the longer cuts where he really stretches out. You can tell the crowd at that Denver club was locked in, and it comes through in the energy of the performance.

I've played this record three times since it arrived, and the room ambience on the ballads is what keeps pulling me back — you can hear glasses clinking between phrases. Having it captured live at that Denver club makes the whole thing feel like you're at a table up front.