The Freedom Sessions [EP] [ENHANCED CD]
An off-the-cuff curio for McLachlan's growing legion of fans. Recorded late-night and live at Pierre Marchand's Studio Nomade in the Laurentians, these loose, acoustic versions of songs offFumbling Towards Ecstasybring the artist to the fore and--like P.J. Harvey's 8-Track Demos--often deliver a stronger emotional punch than the album counterparts. "Plenty," "Elsewhere," and "Hold On" are shivery standouts, while the cover of Tom Waits's "Ol' 55&qiot; is good, sloppy fun.Jeff Bateman