Recording studios have come a long way. But there are still some things they can't capture. So far, for instance, no amount of technology has been able to perfectly document the power and passion that Glen Hansard and The Frames bring to the stage.

But The Cost -- the sixth studio album and ninth release from these best-kept secrets of Irish rock -- is the closest anyone has come yet. Why? Simple -- it was recorded live in the studio over a mere 10 days. The setting and approach bring out the best in Hansard and co., who deliver a maximum dosage of their earthy dynamism, epic beauty and sweeping majesty on artfully elegant compositions like Falling Slowly, Rise and People Get Ready (not the Curtis Mayfield classic).

In the most intimate moments, Hansard has kind of a Cat Stevens thing going on; at their most soaringly expansive, the band connects the dots between a less-pretentious U2 and a more desperate Tragically Hip.

The Cost offers the best of both worlds, augmented by some lush strings and brass to sweeten the deal. Well worth the price of admission.

Track Listing:

1. Song for Someone
2. Falling Slowly
3. People Get Ready
4. Rise
5. When Your Mind's Made Up
6. Sad Songs
7. Cost
8. True
9. Side You Never Get to See
10. Bad Bone