It's Just Movies

— by SEAN GERSKI —

“Once” (2006) is one of the sweetest, most charming movies of recent vintage. I watched it for the first time one night by myself and I immediately wanted to watch it again with everyone I knew. It’s that kind of movie.

I’m not going to do a full review of it, but suffice to say, if you have not seen it, do so. I cannot recommend it enough.

It’s a movie about many things, but at the forefront is music. And the movie’s music is stunning (the beautiful “Falling Slowly” earned the Academy Award for best song).

The movie starred Glen Hansard (lead singer of The Frames) and young Czech singer Marketa Irglova, two musicians who were not actors. Each delivered knockout performances — and each has yet to make another movie.

Luckily, however, they continue to make music and today, thanks to NPR, we can offer you a first listen to “Strict Joy,” a new CD by The Swell Season. NPR states: Hansard and Irglova have split up amicably, but they maintain a fruitful professional relationship. Recording as The Swell Season, they’ve recorded a lush, lovely, heartfelt gem in the new “Strict Joy,” on which they examine a tumultuous relationship over a mostly calm bed of acoustic guitars, pianos and strings.

“Strict Joy” is available in its entirety on this page. In addition, for a limited time, you can download the song “In these Arms” for free from Amazon.

And, after listening to this, you still need more (like I did), click here to “revisit the pair’s unforgettable Tiny Desk Concert, in which Hansard and Irglova turn up at the NPR Music offices and perform six songs from ‘Strict Joy’ (as well as the ‘Once’ hit ‘When Your Mind’s Made Up’).”

Follow Sean Gerski on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DoubleDown44.