Top Tracks: The Swell Season – People We Used To Be

We all live a number of lives during our brief time on this Earth. Different versions of the same person that we ultimately have to say goodbye to in order to grow into someone new. Old shells from a hermit crab, outgrown and left behind. Given enough time, our past selves become like strangers; but who else do we become estranged from in the process? ‘People We Used To Be’ is a song of bittersweet reunion, one that sees The Swell Season – the Oscar winning folk duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová – tenderly rebuilding their partnership after many years spent moving in different directions. It’s a moment of mourning for their past selves, that fittingly wonders on where a relationship stands given the passage of time. How much of a connection formed all that time ago still remains within their current incarnations. Does a partnership need to be forged anew, are the bonds we form yet another part of our past that we need to say goodbye to, or will it be strong enough to persist throughout all change and reinvention. Though the pair’s voices may carry a little more weight, and speak with a little more wisdom, having the two of them together in a video that calls back to their performances in the beloved film Once – seeing that, it feels like not a day has passed.

Best Songs of the 2010s (#25-1)

songs2It’s time to live in the past for just one brief moment longer before we fully embrace the future. Time for one last shot of nostalgia as we look at the very best songs of the past ten years. Songs that dominated the airwaves and became anthems for millions, and the ones that formed the backbone of our playlists and became the musical lifeblood of a more personal journey. Songs that have hyped us up ready to take on the world and ones that helped us escape into daydreams, ones that have given us goosebumps and some that have even brought us close to tears. So, assuming you’ve caught up with part one, let’s get to it! Continue reading

Live Review: Glen Hansard, Barbican Centre London, 16th April 2019

LRM_EXPORT_112745519479385_20190418_135803273-01They say you should never meet your heroes as they never live up to expectations. Leading up to this gig I was worried that the same principle applied to seeing one of your favourite artists live. After discovering Glen though the usual method, falling deeply in love with the movie Once, I’ve become a deep admirer of his artistry. Although not always captured by the studio versions, the energy of his live performances that I’ve seen online are just in a whole other league. He sings with such passion, as though music were his sole purpose and he is giving away his very life-force to his songs. Some of these have proven to be some of my favourite live performances of all time, videos that I watch almost religiously. That is an awful lot of expectation to live up to, but when Glen announced a new tour I decided it was a risk I had to take. Continue reading

Top Tracks: Glen Hansard – Time Will Be The Healer

Few people live and breathe music the way that Glen Hansard does. He pours every last ounce of his heart and soul into his music, and the reassuring rise and fall of ‘Time Will Be The Healer’ is no exception. This lead single from his third solo album Between Two Shores, out 19th January, is some of his most arresting and heartwarming work yet, and also marks the first time Glen has produced an album himself. Glen is one of those artists that will always win your heart; it’s inevitable. Whether you’re a fan eagerly awaiting more wondrous music from the man himself, or you’re looking for a starting point to delve into one of the most underrated singer/songwriters going, Between Two Shores looks to be one of the early highlights of next year. Till then, this track will be in heavy rotation!