Taken as a whole, Brett Kissel’s ambitious four-part Compass Project positions him as a country music auteur, one with multi-faceted talents and a deep and abiding love for the genre. Previous Compass Project releases are South, inspired by Nashville-style country pop; East, an acoustic collection showcasing Kissel’s songwriting chops; and West, taking cues from traditional country and western music. The finale brings selections from these projects, and from throughout his career, into their natural habitat: the stage. North opens with a rollicking version of “We Were That Song,” the wistful opening cut off his 2017 album of the same name. The live recording proves its fan-favorite status, as you can hear the crowd singing along with Kissel in the background. The 2021 What Is Life? standout “Make a Life, Not a Living” sounds especially inspiring live, as Kissel’s road band ups the bombast on the hopeful song. Kissel introduces “Tough People Do,” an ode to resilience and vulnerability from his 2013 debut Started With a Song, by telling the audience, “I want to dedicate this song to anybody out there who needs to hear these lyrics”—a bit of crowd work that adds intimacy to the LP.