Released three months after
Illuminate,
Live at Madison Square Garden is a digital-only document of
Shawn Mendes' September 10, 2016 concert in New York City.
Illuminate was still on the horizon -- it'd show up on September 23 -- but the crowd was primed for
Mendes, who delivered earnest renditions of his hits, a couple of medleys, and teasers from the new record. If the record isn't especially kinetic, it's nevertheless sincere and
Mendes relies on the same increasing sense of craft that made his sophomore record stronger than his debut, which helps make this a nice little souvenir for fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine