The Swell Season
Strict Joy
ANTI-Records
(49m 04s)
Rating: 3/5

JUST because 'Falling Slowly' won an Oscar doesn't mean The Swell Season should become what Glen Hansard does. It makes monetary sense to capitalise on that brand, but quality suffers. With The Frames reduced to a backing band, it's Marketa Irglova and Hansard to the fore. There are a couple of lovely moments: 'High Horses' is a great song, while Irglova and the bass guitar shine on 'I Have Loved You Wrong', but elsewhere this is probably the weakest material Hansard, in his various incarnations, has produced. Passion is diluted, lyrically it's terribly earnest, and the overall tone is very middle of the road.

Download: 'High Horses', 'I Have Loved You Wrong', 'Low Rising'