Coming back together to explore one another’s highs and lows.
Songwriting duo Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, better known as The Swell Season, have released their first studio album since ’09 with eight capturing tracks. This band is known for their work on the movie Once, earning them an Oscar for Best Original Song. Along with winning the Oscar, these two held major personal triumphs as they wrote the score and were the stars of the film. Forward is an emotional and soul-filled album, perfectly showcasing both Hansard and Irglová individually in their blend. Irglová via Chromatic explained in her own words how the album just felt right being titled Forward because of how far they have come together and alone, that when they reunited in the studio, they saw their direction, sure bringing in the past memories, but continuing to grow. “Born out of re-connecting as old friends in new circumstances.” (Irglová via Chromatic)
Beautifully and elegantly, strings are a major part of this album’s production. As such, “People We Used To Be” on lyricism alone is a heartbreaking song, yet the production elevates it to another plane with the help of the orchestra pieces – “Even the best of friends can become estranged / I can not stand by and watch this fire / You keep willing those flames to go higher.”
With a Bon Iver sounding harmony, Hansard backs up Irglová’s vocals in “Pretty Stories.” Hansard enters the song after the halfway mark to pick up Irglová and bring her support, spiking the build of the song into illuminating harmonies. This elevation captures the feeling of a big last-cry goodbye. Hansard’s first line in the song, coming in with Irglová, is “I know that you don’t know what to say.” Before his line was cast, pulling her to light and elevation, Irglová was expressing painful doubts and confusion, yearning for her subject and pleading for this time not to be coming to an end, “Give me a day, please, give me a night.”
Getting groovier, “Great Weight” incorporates saxophones, wind sounds and violin, complementing the lower, edgier register of Hansard’s vocals. Without saying exactly what the weight was, this song is painting an image of joy and relief.
Highlighting tracks “Factory Street Bells” and “Pretty Stories,” Forward is an album that does not stand still. This album could be thought of as a back-and-forth. With balance and help for each other, these two talented songwriters found both of their struggling and harmonious stories to complement each other and dig just a little deeper, as this is their first collaboration in a while. This album shows how much people can change, yet still find comfort in each other and find new lights and darknesses.
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