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Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
 Strict Care, Strict Joy November 4, 2009
Brandon Pfeltz (New York, NY)
25 out of 26 found this review helpful
Being a huge Frames/Swell Season fan, I've been anticipating this album for a long while now. I can say with a sigh of relief that I'm not disappointed. I really really enjoy "Strict Joy". I'd heard a lot of the songs live, and of course they are better than the studio versions, but it's not really fair to compare.
That being said, here is what I thought:
Low Rising - This is a very strong opening number. People say that it's really Van Morrisonesque, and I suppose that I'd agree with that. Glen's voice on this track is great, and it's got a great hook. My only problem with the song, is the production. I feel like it's been bogged down with too much drone. I think that the song would be better without the brass, and with more guitar. Still, a solid and catchy opening number. 8.5/10
Feeling The Pull - This is a great song. Very folky, with an old time optimistic feel. It's catchy, nicely written, and also it's very short and sweet. It retains the energy of Low Rising and focuses it in a very different way. I do however, miss the moments when played live Glen goes into a nice falsetto and lightly strums the guitar. However, the song is still great without it, and doesn't really suffer without it's inclusion. 8.5/10
In These Arms - Beautiful song, with beautiful lyrics. Glen's vocals are hushed, which makes the song sound almost like a lullaby. The harmonies and piano bits provided by Marketa are gorgeous. The songs beauty is in its simplicity. It's very clean, dark, and yet hopeful at the same time. Fantastic tune. 9/10
The Rain - This song to me, is very Frames reminiscent. It's dark, drum driven, has a prevalent bass part, and it makes nice use of the violin. It's a bit repetitive, but the song itself isn't that long, so you don't get a sense of a one minute song left on repeat. It's a nice tune, not one of the standouts, but by no means bad. 7/10
Fantasy Man - This is a Marketa driven song, and it's great. It has an old medieval feel to it, and almost seems like it is a cover song from the olden days. The harmonies are fantastic, and really shows how wonderfully Glen and Marketa can blend their voices. Glen's part is very soft and understated, yet works extremely well. This song really shows off Marketa's talent. Her voice is like a warm fire on a cold rainy day. Very nice, soft, and welcoming. 9.5/10
Paper Cup - This song has very nice lyrics, and an almost Spanish-like feel to it, which is provided by the lead guitar. It's a soft song, and the lyrics while a tad bit sappy, work well and in no way sound cliched. It's a nice tune with a nice appeasing melody. 8/10
High Horses - The is by far the heaviest song on the album. It's a great throwback to The Frames, and sounds like it could have been off of one of their albums. The song becomes eerily quiet about 3/4 in, and then builds from there into a nice rocking ending. The effect is very nice, and it ends on a chilling note. 8/10
The Verb - This is by far one of my favorite songs on the album. Upon first listen, I wasn't sure if I liked it overall, but I was instantly drawn to the insanely catchy chorus. The more that I listened, the more I realized how layered and truly beautiful the song is. There are so many little aspects of the song that you do not catch on first listen, and the melody gets even more beautiful as the song continues. The climax of the song is met with Glen singing the chorus and being overlapped by Marketa singing her own thing, and the result is a gorgeous blending of melody and emotion that is like candy to the ears. 10/10
I Have Loved You Wrong - This song is so soothing, that you can't help but close your eyes and become engulfed in the music. The enchanting melody is only helped by the subtle instruments carrying the song along like a leaf on a gentle breeze. This is one of the best songs that the group has written, and Marketa's voice suits it perfectly. The song ends with a heartwarmingly angelic harmony between Marketa and Glen, and it is perhaps one of the most beautiful things that I've ever heard. One line is repeated many times, and with each repeat, you can feel it tugging more and more at your heart. 10/10
Love That Conquers - This song sounds like an old bardic folk song. It features some nice little harmonies, but the song overall tends to become a bit repetitive. However, the song is very nice. It's a great song to just relax and listen to. A very safe song with a simple yet nice tune. 7.5/10
Two Tongues - To me, this song also plays very much like a Frames song. I enjoy the chorus, and I like the buildup to it. However, on song like this, I wish that Glen would display the beauty and raw power of his voice, because he stays mostly in his lower register. The piano part on this track is very nice at times, and it pierces through the guitar like a sword, which is welcoming. 8/10
Back Broke - This song is a fantastic way to end the album. It's a quiet song with beautiful lyrics. It's song with Glen hardly using his voice, which makes it all the more effective. Additionally, Marketa's piano bits are very nice, and Glen's soft voice soars over them. The song has a wonderfully dark vibe, reminiscent to a storm cloud just before the rain. It ends the album on a very high note. 9.5/10
Overall, Strict Joy is a true work of art. It seems to me that Glen Hansard walked into the studio and came out with a hybrid album that lays somewhere between The Frames and The Swell Season. The result of such an album, is a wonderful gem that any musician would be proud to add to their catalogue. When the album flies, it really soars. Sure, it may hit some turbulence along the way, but the ride for the most part is an extremely enjoyable experience. The original poem Strict Care, Strict Joy, said "The poet makes grief beautiful," and Glen and Marketa have truly achieved that. The album is a must-buy, and plays like a warm night sitting around the campfire with old friends playing music and telling stories. Buy the CD, close your eyes, and savor it.
A Truimphant Return October 29, 2009
John Terry (Kansas City, Mo)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova return with The Swell Season 2.0 and there's no let down. At first listen, there's nothing as instantly catchy as the tunes from "Once" and their debut album. If you consider the fact that the tunes from those albums represent some of the finest highlights of Glen Hansard's career with The Frames, it's completely understandable. Even if their romantic relationship didn't survive staring at fame in the face, their creative muse did. They seem to have drawn on the end of their romance and the beginning of a different kind of friendship to craft the gentle sadness and cautious optimism that runs through this album. The lion's share of the credit still goes to Hansard but he makes good use of Irglova who's a stellar musician still developing her skills as a vocalist and songwriter. If you consider her age, she should be absolutely devastating as she gains experience. That doesn't even take into account that she was born to harmonize with Glen. Their voices were absolutely made for each other. Grab the deluxe edition and you've got a full length concert and dvd where Glen's skills as a front man are absolutely dazzling. I've heard some of the between song patter before and I'm not even tired of the storytelling yet.
Fantastic! November 5, 2009
A. Steward (Little Rock, AR USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've been listening to "Strict Joy" continuously for the past week and find more to like about it every time. The genius lies in the poetry of the words, the emotion in the music, the raw feeling in the "story of two lovers who danced both edges of the knife". I know that artists of any kind find more inspiration when their own emotions are intense--such as those of falling in and out of love. Glen and Marketa have harnessed their emotions and channeled them into an album full of beautiful, bittersweet music. Marketa's voice is never more beautiful than when she sings "Fantasy Man" and "I Have Loved You Wrong". And what a way to end the latter song with the repitition of the same phrase "on my mind" over and over. Isn't that the way of love--not being able to get your lover (or former lover) out of your mind? Glen's voice is for the most part quieter and more gentle than in some of his previous songs. I think that "Back Broke" is one of the best songs on the album. The sadness, the hope, the acceptance are all tempered by the plaintive, heartbreaking melody of the violin as it brings the song and the album to an end. The lush background music and their combined voices on most of the songs show us that despite the failure of their romance, they still can make beautiful music together.
This is quickly becoming my favorite album even though I loved "Once" and the "Swell Season" albums. It will captivate you too from the first song until the last note.
Magic October 31, 2009
Dolphin (Vancouver, WA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just released: Strict Joy by The Swell Season (recommend the Deluxe Edition because it contains additional live performances, including their mega hit "Falling Slowly.")
That's right! 33 tracks.
This CD is every bit as impressive as the Soundtrack from "Once." I must confess I had never heard of them before seeing the film, Once. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are magical together (and lack something apart in my opinion). He gives her classical Czech, free-flowing instrumentals a harder, modern form. She gives his raw, Irish, folk rock ballads a lyrical, vocal and orchestral beauty and softness. Together they combine unlike forms and create new sounds and colors they cannot create or perform alone.
[...]
My very favorite new tracks:
The Rain
High Horses
The Verb
In These Arms
Fantasy Man
I Have Loved You Wrong (A Live Version, too that is haunting)
Love That Conquers
Two Tongues
LOVE THEM!!!!
The article refers to the song "The Verb," which Hansard wrote when he was with the Frames that he said was too dark to record before now. Irglova lightens it up at the end and it is absolutely magical!
My favorite live performances include:
Drown Out (beautiful song)
Fitzcarraldo (another beautiful song)
Falling Slowly
All The Way Down (beautiful version)
When Your Mind's Made Up
If You Want Me
Go With Happiness
Lies
The Low (another gorgeous version)
Great follow-up to Once December 17, 2009
A4Q96 (Baltimore, MD USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been a huge fan of The Swell Season (and Glen Hansard's other band The Frames) after seeing Once last year. Strict Joy is a slightly different album than the Once soundtrack, but its a fantastic follow-up. Whereas Once seems to permeate the beginnings of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's (now ended) romantic relationship, Strict Joy clearly explores their break-up and the challenges of being together. For that reason, it seems a more somber album.
The live CD and DVD are nice bonuses. Well worth the purchase!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
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