Ladies and gentlemen: a Pete Yorn [ tickets ] double album recorded live in Morristown, NJ!!

Not exactly a long-awaited release is it? Well, don't let that fool you. Look inside and you'll discover beer-bar piano, rowdy guitars, and a warm, understated baritone. And they all work to make this a release you'll take note of--even if you're not that big a Pete Yorn fan.

And while "Live from New Jersey" captures a solid singer/songwriter playing a set of his songs before an adoring crowd, it also affords those unfamiliar with Yorn's material an opportunity to get it all on one release. Necessary? Not really, but this album is good mix of Yorn's two studio albums, with straightforward readings of songs like "Strange Condition," "Burrito," and "Just Another," dedicated here to "all the beautiful Jersey girls out there."

Originally from the area, this album captures a local boy done good. Yorn is a fan of rock and roll, a student of its history, and here he covers Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," and (briefly) Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City."

It ain't exactly earth-shattering, but, if nothing else, "Live from New Jersey" chronicles a fine homecoming, at once a celebration of the past and a reward to the faithful.