It’s not too soon for me. I found “Scattered Pieces: Live,” an assortment of live acoustic performances scattered over the waning months of 2006, to be very satisfying, serving up enough diversity to hold my attention easily. Moody and evocative, it’s an album that sets a certain tone, almost transporting in its scope.
“Scattered Pieces” offers a few new additions: some organic percussion, sweet strings, and the always-delicious vocals of Alli Rogers. But McDonald opens alone, the stark “Ramblings of a Beggar,” raw and brave. The note-bending beneath “I Am Nothing” sounds like whales at play, adding to the organic pleasures of the intense track. The rapid-fire vocals of “Don’t Walk Away” give a mad beat poetry feel to the encouraging track. And I don’t know how McDonald does it, but he manages to give “Take Hold” an intensity both dreamy and fierce at the same time, underscored fittingly by the scorching electric guitar solo. New song “Pride,” one of four, is powerfully nuanced, his deeply expressive vocals soaring over quietly nimble strings. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of “Pour Out”’s gritty vocals against the luminous instrumentation.
The energy picks up appealingly on the album’s last tracks, including the free-flowing passion of “The Rider on the White Horse,” tightened up well here. “Take My Hand”’s nimble energy draws the crowd in easily, especially as McDonald scats fiercely over the thick cello chords. “Scattered Pieces: Live” closes powerfully with “Beautiful,” an emotionally-charged track wisely pairing his rough vocals with Alli Rogers’ lustrous sound. If you ask me, it’s never too soon for Shawn McDonald’s “Scattered Pieces: Live.”
