Break-up records are nothing new, but few seem as emotionally genuine as The Swell Season’s “Strict Joy.”
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irgolva, who became a couple while filming their reality-blurring indie film hit “Once” (which won them an Academy Award for the song “Falling Slowly”), broke up at some point during the creation of “Strict Joy.”
And yet, the split resulted in a lush, introspective set of songs which run the gamut from regret (“In Your Arms”) to bitterness (“The Verb”).
On standout track “The Rain,” Hansard sings, “I know we’re not where I promised you we would be by now / But maybe it’s a question of who’d want it anyhow,” which is as near as true a statement about relationships as I’ve ever heard.
The varied indie/folk/pop-rock sounds offer variety to match the emotive voices of both Hansard and Irglova, especially in harmonies together (as in the gorgeous “Fantasy Man,” led by Irglova.)
If only every musician dealt with heartbreak as well as these two.