We'll Do It Live (High Country, 2011)

The Infamous Stringdusters have built up plenty of success since their 2007 debut album "Fork in the Road" - a Grammy nomination, topping the U.S. bluegrass charts and forming their own record label, High Country Recordings. "We'll Do It Live" is their first full-length live album.

One of the best parts of live albums is the possibility for extended solos and improvisations. Well, Well and Hitchhiker excel at this, with flurries of strings that are raucous yet controlled. However, the instrumentals fall short in Gettin Down the Road - the song starts off and finishes well, but lacks energy in the middle. The best song is the beautiful Masquerade, which was released on their album "Things That Fly," but has more personality here.

The Infamous Stringdusters have the right kind of musical vigor for a live album, only lagging in their stage chatter. The album consists of recordings from several concerts and songs often end with stereotypical band shout-outs to different cities. The 'Dusters aren't reaching their charismatic potential here - having the crowd to sing a line in Get It While You Can is a lot more fun. While music lovers new to the 'Dusters might be better off picking up one of their less-meandering studio discs, "We'll Do It Live" is accessible enough that it's not a bad place to start. Established fans should have no hesitations about adding this to their collection.