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The point of this review is that Caught in the Act: Live is a very good live album. Eric Church broke out in a big way with his last studio release, Chief, and this effort is, I feel pretty safe in assuming, a stopgap effort while he marshals the forces for a new collection of songs.

The package opens up with a pyrotechnic "Before She Does." Church inserts lines about Chattanooga to feed the local crowd.

The showman dials it down on "Sinners Like Me," picking up the acoustic guitar to "strip it down to where this thing started: to me and a song and you guys."

Otherwise, the songs don't stray too far from the recorded versions. "Springsteen" opens up with Church on piano and turns into a stadium singalong. An uptempo "Hungover & Hard Up" gets jittery on the turnaround.

Caught in the Act: Live was recorded over a two-night stand at Chattanooga's Tivoli Theater in October 2012, and the tight focus gives the album a feel of continuity lacking in some tour-length collections.

That said, the record will mainly be of interest to Eric Church's converted, and an incentive to see him in concert. Judging by these contents, it's pretty much a Praise Jesus affair.

Essential Tracks

• "Before She Does"
• "Keep On"

Track List for 'Caught in the Act: Live'

1. "Before She Does"
2. "How 'Bout You"
3. "Drink in My Hand"
4. "Over When It's Over"
5. "I'm Gettin' Stoned"
6. "Creepin'"
7. "Keep On"
8. "Hungover & Hard Up"
9. "Sinners Like Me"
10. "Country Music Jesus"

1. "Pledge Allegiance to the Hag"
2. "Jack Daniels"
3. "Homeboy"
4. "Lotta Boot Left to Fill"
5. "Smoke a Little Smoke"
6. "These Boots"
7. "Springsteen"

Release date: April 5, 2013
(Apologies to David Foster Wallace.)