SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE SWELL SEASON – FORWARD

THE SWELL SEASON
FORWARD
MASTERKEY SOUNDS

Oscar-winning duo, The Swell Season, balancing the rugged, raw vocals of Glen Hansard with the lush, soft sounds of Markéta Irglová, haven’t released an album together in 16 years. After the success of “Falling Slowly”, the duo released Strict Joy in 2009, an impeccably strong showcase of songwriting which found the harmony between their two distinct sounds. Now, with 16 years of independent songwriting under their belts—five solo albums for Hansard; three for Irglová—the two have reunited to deliver eight tracks that intend to define a continued path Forward, which is perhaps a premature title for this effort.

Here, Hansard and Irglová’s solo paths have made them both stronger songwriters, but in two seemingly diverging styles. And those two styles never quite coexist successfully on Forward, especially since a few of the tracks – namely, the fairytale-tinged balled “I Leave Everything to You” and the sincere opener “Factory Street Bells” – feel entirely owned by only one of the two. While Irglová provides piano to underscore Hansard’s croon and he plucks guitars to match her sweeter tones, the two seem as though they are inconsistently unified on Forward. The closing track “Hundred Words”, which features banal platitudes such as “don’t stop believing” and “don’t close the book, just keep on reading”, is an example where their collaboration may be dampening both of their usual ability to convey sincerity in their writing.

However, in other areas on Forward, the duo manages to meet the appeal from their original efforts. “A Little Sugar” crescendoes to a lovely harmony of their vocals as they chant “pay it forward, taste the words and dare to spit them out”, a reminder that their lyrical craftsmanship and soulful storytelling abilities are still present. The horn-laden “Great Weight” stands out as the record’s high-point. While seemingly a Hansard B-side, Irglová provides vocals alongside him and the two reach a collective energy that matches similar folk-rock collabs of recent memory, like Hozier and Mavis Staples.

The soulful effort displayed on “Great Weight” definitely feels representative of a sound that potentially could drive The Swell Season forward into new, more compelling territory. On this Forward effort, however, the two seem mostly content with delivering a similar rework of what they were up to 16 years ago, which is neither detrimental to the music, nor groundbreaking.

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