As the title suggests, Song To The Siren: Live In San Sebastien is a live disc. It naturally features a pleasantly wistful cover of the Tim Buckley song from whence the album's title comes. However, it's more than just a record of one night's gig: it's the sort of live recording that makes you wonder why gigs can't all be that good.

For those who came in late, Damon (Krukowski) and Naomi (Yang) are two ex-Galaxie 500 players who've long been beaten with the words "sensitive" and "slow", and rightfully so: the duo make sometimes-stately music that's both subtle and soulful. It's quiet-kid heaven, pretty much, and this disc is an attempt to capture the feeling of their most recent studio release -- Damon And Naomi With Ghost -- let loose on tour. While it doesn't sound like a tour of Hammer Of The Gods-level debauchery -- the crowd are suitably worshipful -- it does come across as a tour to kick yourself for not catching.

For touring purposes, only a fraction of legendary folk-outs Ghost -- guitarist Michio Kurihara -- was utilised, but it's a canny choice: his electric playing is what makes this disc shimmer. Reminiscent at times of Mike Oldfield's style, only with more watery, tremolo-laden tones, Kurihara's playing is exemplary: never overplaying, but creating liquid backings to the high-voiced duo's songs of faith and yearning. Ranging from mirrored clouds of sound to erupting shards of near-noise -- "I Dreamed Of The Caucasus" is about as rock as the trio gets -- the tones unleashed are uncannily good. Indeed, the Ebow-workin' solo that crowns "Eye Of The Storm" is one of the finest I've heard.

This is a special CD: it has the clarity that was always missing from Mazzy Star's work, and the dreamy elegance of the best folk around. It's also blessed by the fact that everything fits: Damon and Naomi (and Kurihara, natch) are single-minded in their creation of one of the most beguiling live experiences around. With this CD -- and here, I'm not counting the second-disc DVD tour-diary that us hacks don't get to see -- they've produced the rarest of the rare: a live recording that's strong enough to stand on its own outside the fanboy brigade's rave-ups. While they're playing, the only crowd-noise there is is the sound of open mouths. Add yours to it.