Home / Arts and Entertainment / Stripped-Down Set Falls Flat: Hartzman & Lenderman's Live Album Disappoints
Stripped-Down Set Falls Flat: Hartzman & Lenderman's Live Album Disappoints
4 Dec, 2025
Summary
- The live album features a stripped-down, low-energy performance from Karly Hartzman and MJ Lenderman.
- Recorded in September 2024, the set reportedly struggles to create compelling moments.
- Critics note a lack of dynamic range, with songs played at a similar tempo and losing steam.
Recorded in September 2024 at Nashville's Third Man Records, the live album by Karly Hartzman and MJ Lenderman captures a low-energy, catalog-spanning performance that falls notably short of its potential. The intimate setting, coinciding with MJ Lenderman's recent album success, heightened audience expectations for a significant experience.
However, the duo's decision to strip songs down to their core elements, removing signature sounds like crunching guitars and pedal steel, proved detrimental. Instead of adding compelling new dimensions, this minimalist approach often resulted in anticlimactic moments, failing to meet the energy anticipated by the crowd.
While a few instances showcase a raw, glorious quality, the overall presentation is criticized for its lack of dynamism. Songs are frequently performed at a similar, slack tempo, leading to a noticeable decline in momentum and an overall sense of disappointment, likened to watching a tire slowly deflate.
