Don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of The Swell Season. It’s been sixteen years since Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová released their second album. Unbelievably, an entire generation may never have heard of the band, their film Once or the Oscar they received for ‘Falling Slowly’. Yet the passage of time has done nothing to dispel the magic in their voices or the melody that emerges from their guitar and piano. Forward, while stepping into subtle songcraft also presages a rebirth and a way into the future.
The opening notes of ‘Factory Street Bells’ sound fragile, Hansard’s voice barely above a whisper as he sings to his young son, “That’s another day over/ Go to sleep now, my son/ It’s a full-blown, solid gold/ Miracle you’ve come”. As the song goes on there’s a musical rise and fall repeating in the song and the blending of their voices. It’s one of those moments when you realise despite all the years there’s still a mutual respect between these two artists that enables them to create moments of incredible beauty.
Irglová’s ‘People We Used To Be’ looks at who they were so long ago, while offering a way forward. The sound of her piano provides the setting for her to look back on what used to be. As the song builds, with the help of Hansard’s harmonies things become clear as they find a way to move forward, “I will not stand by and watch this fire/ Burn down everything we worked so hard to build/ If you keep willing those flames to go higher/ You know they will.” They have weathered the changes, deciding to reemerge stronger and more focused.
One song that perhaps expresses the unique relationship between Irglová and Hansard is ‘I Leave Everything To You.” Using nothing more than piano and Irglová’s voice, the chorus expresses the unique nature of their relationship, ” Things are never what we imagine them to be/ Are they?/ But they are always working out for you and me/ Aren’t they?” in that moment of crystal clarity she acknowledges the bond that exists between the two.
Like the best work of The Swell Season, these songs rise and fall, tugging on the heart strings as they explore the relationship and respect between two singer-songwriters who have realised the magic that exists in their relationship. Beyond the melodies there is a respect that time cannot assuage. Their songs and voices are inextricably tied to one another. Pianos and guitars, strings and sinew have indelibly tied these two artists together. Time has healed old wounds allowing them to find the tones and textures that create their magic. Forward is the only way to go.