Entertainment Weekly (p.70) - "AFTERGLOW collects her greatest hits and best-known quirks..." - Grade: B-
Personnel: Sarah McLachlan (vocals, guitar, piano); Luke Doucet, Sean Ashby (vocals, guitar); Vincent Jones (vocals, keyboards); Brian Minato (vocals, bass guitar); Ashwin Sood (vocals, drums, percussion); Kathryn Rose (vocals); David Kershaw (keyboard, bass guitar).
AFTERGLOW LIVE is Sarah McLachlan's second live album within a five-year span, with only one studio release of new material, 2003's AFTERGLOW, dividing the two. Though older McLachlan favorites like the pensive "Adia" and the lilting, minor-key "Sweet Surrender" overlap with 1999's MIRRORBALL, most of the songs are drawn from AFTERGLOW. "Fallen" and "Dirty Little Secret," for example, which open and close the set, respectively, demonstrate McLachlan's command of evocative, accessible rock songcraft and heartfelt balladry. Here the blend of newer tunes with the singer/songwriter's old standbys is seamless.
The focus of the concert, naturally, is McLachlan's voice. Breathy, emotive, and threaded with embellishments, the singer's performances replicate her studio takes to the note. Likewise, her band creates a gauzy, shimmering wash of sound, perfectly complementing McLachlan, and giving the whole a high-end sheen. But the real treasure here is the accompanying DVD, which features live footage of all the songs on the audio disc, plus additional tunes (including a cover of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird"), videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and the politically motivated short film "World on Fire." For fans who have never seen McLachlan perform, or wish to relive the experience, AFTERGLOW LIVE is the next best thing to seeing the pop icon in person.