The Swell Season - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
Frames front man Hansard has teamed up with classically trained Czech vocalist and pianist, Irglova to produce this album of affecting songs and compositions. From straight songs to piano instrumentals, "The Swell Season" affords an insight into a whole other side of Glen/The Frames, as well as offering a perfect introduction to this very talented newcomer. The record takes its name from author Josef Skvorecky's book of the same name. Set in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia, the story centers on one man's love of music and his pursuit of unattainable women as a country comes unglued. Like the book, the record deals with the pains and hopes of those struggling to make sense of their lives.

Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Criminally Ignored October 16, 2006
42 out of 43 found this review helpful

Like so many other reviewers of Glen Hansard/The Frames related albums I have to start out by saying that Glen and The Frames should be huge in the US, but instead they've been virtually ignored for the last 10+ years. Fortunately, a friend who studied in Ireland introduced me to The Frames about 4 years ago. The first album I heard was Dance the Devil, and to be honest, I was not blown away upon the initial listen. As one who considers himself a bit of an indie snob (i.e., I spend way too much on vinyl records in order to carry on conversations about the most esoteric bands), I thought The Frames sounded just a little too familiar (Colm's violin aside), as if they hadn't quite been able to distance themselves from their influences. Then I saw them live after the release of Burn the Maps, and everything changed. After seeing them live, there was no question that this music comes from deep within each of the band members and is not simply their take on the artists that influenced them. For the last two years, I have consistently listened to The Frames more than any other band (and I'm almost always listening to music) and have yet to get bored with their music.

As with most of The Frames' material, this cd did not blow me away upon first listen. There are some excellent standout tracks in which Glen and Marketa's emotion is nicely captured: "Falling Slowly", "Leave", and Marketa's solo, "Alone Apart" are some of my favorites. And like all The Frames albums, there's even some choruses that you simply will not be able to get out of your head, something that is all too often lacking in some of the supposedly more "avant garde" indie albums.

Living in DC I was fortunate enough to see Glen and Marketa perform these songs live last week during their six-day tour of the US. Since then this album has taken on a whole new life for me. This album has gone from being just another solid Frames/Glen Hansard release to being my favorite album of 2006 in 4 short days. Any album that you can listen to more than 10 times in 4 days is surely in contention for that title; when you realize that every conversation since you saw the music performed has begun with an account of how unforgettable the show was, you know you've found your favorite album of the year.

Due to the fact that the tour is so short, I doubt anyone reading this will be able to catch them live this time around, but that certainly should not prevent you from purchasing this album. Unfortunately the Frames have never fully captured their magic on compact disc form, and this release too suffers from that shortcoming. So, though it may not become everybody's favotie album of the year, there's no doubt in my mind that anyone who listens to the beautiful string, piano, and guitar arrangements topped with some of the most heartfelt vocals in all of music will appreciate this album on some level. The music is familiar enough to appreciate on first listen, but with repeated listens, one continues to uncover layer after layer of both sorrow and joy. It is Hansard's ability to convey these two emotions simultaneously in so many of his songs that has won him some of the most devoted fans of any artist, even if record sales may not compare to artists with 1/100th of his sincerity. This will not be one of those albums you rave about for 4 months only to hear it mentioned a year later and realize you've totally lost interest in it. It is one of those albums that you will listen to for years to come only to realize that every listening experience is more rewarding than the last.

5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite discoveries of the year after seeing him in the movie once December 30, 2007
36 out of 41 found this review helpful

If you like this music, please, I urge you...go to see the movie Once as well and then buy that soundtrack. You'll get an idea of the music from that or just do a seach on You know what Tube and you can see performances of many of the songs from this CD.

I'd go into more detail about the music but I rarely find WRITTEN reviews of music to be all that revealing. The best I could do would be to write that it was "atypical" or a "bit folksy" and that'd still be way off the mark. So I'll simply suggest you listen to the musical samples here and then go to that you know what tube and hear the complete versions of songs from the CD..that is a much better way to get a taste of the music. I do recommend this one.

If you catch the movie, you'll discover that both the male and female singers can act and do so in a very low-key, believable way. The music? It is every bit as lovely as you'd expect and you get to see how musicians think and the process of creativity all set to a love story - sort of. Just see it. Then buy this CD and the one to Once and allow yourself to be transported by music that isn't trite, overdone or screaming to be heard. This makes it so much more appealing, of course, and I can't stop playing it, over and over. Bravo!

5 out of 5 stars

Unbelievably Beautiful Music February 28, 2007
32 out of 33 found this review helpful

I can't stop listening to this CD since I bought it last week. The songs just touch my soul with their beauty. It's a combination of the lyrics, the masterful musical arrangements, and the voices of Hansard and Irglova.
The songs are quite a departure for Glen Hansard. As the lead singer of the great Dublin band, The Frames, he is known for his emotional singing, yet his voice is often strained. Here he is subdued, subtle and filled with much more emotion.
And what can I say about the voice of Marketa Irglova? It is like an angels, particularly on Alone Apart.
Many of the songs on the CD are sung by the duo in the forthcoming film "Once". All I can say is I can't wait to see the film.

5 out of 5 stars

Loved the movie, Love the soundtrack March 8, 2007
31 out of 31 found this review helpful

After seeing the movie "Once" at the Sundance Film Festival and meeting Glen & Marketa I rushed to my computer to order The Swell Season. The Swell Season contains most of the songs featured in the brilliant Irish musical film written and directed by John Carney. The songs on The Swell Season are beautiful and evocative and the melodies will sweep you away. Glen's voice is like a fine Irish whiskey at it's best and Marketa provides the perfect counterpoint.

5 out of 5 stars

Amazing - Buy It Now !!!! December 14, 2006
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

Saw them opening for Damien Rice, and wow, I was blown away. Although the show lacked any major production (generally that's so with opening bands), Glen Hansard is an incredible and charismatic vocalist, and Marketa and specially the violin section back him up beautifully. The cd portraits this amazing talent, and the song Falling Slowly has got to be one of the best songs I've listened in the past 5 yrs (and I'm very picky about songs). The whole cd is great, so buy it now and spread the word about Glen and his part time act Swell Season, or also his own band The Frames.

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