GLEN HANSARD plays the Danforth Music Hall on September 16. See listing. Rating: NNN
Glen Hansard does “quiet” really well. The Oscar- and Tony-winning singer/songwriter’s first solo effort is anxious and sombre, not a huge leap from the work he’s made as one half of the Swell Season and as vocalist/guitarist for the Frames, one of Ireland’s most influential bands.
The 11-song album starts softly, with Hansard sounding wounded and tired. Touches of piano and lap steel add further mournfulness to his acoustic guitar strumming. Talking With The Wolves adds a soft rock groove and lovely female backups from Swell Season bandmate (and solo artist in her own right) Markéta Irglová. Bird Of Sorrow and the duet What Are We Gonna Do are immaculately sorrowful.
Things burst open halfway through with The Storm, It’s Coming, just when you needed the infusion of energy. He wails and seethes in full bellow while the music stays quiet behind him. And then, remarkably, he retreats again, cooling off with the superbly laid-back, Van Morrisonesque Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting. Things stay downtempo and minor till the end.
It’s not exactly a fun listen, but fans will eat it up.
Top track: Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting
