Some More Joy

Next week, as highlighted in a previous post, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s follow-up to Once—the indie musical that became 2007′s surprise hit (both the film and its soundtrack)—will finally be released after a fair amount of buzz and anticipation.

Fans, and there are many now following these once-obscure musicians turned Oscar winners, don’t have to wait until October 27 to hear the dozen tracks that comprise the duo’s new album, Strict Joy. NPR Music—arguably the best, all-encompassing music site on the Web, featuring live concerts, studio sessions, interviews, profiles, and more—is now offering an “Exclusive First Listen” of the entire album by The Swell Season (the duo’s post-Once moniker) until its official release.

The new album picks up, in many ways, where Once left off: intimate songs that somehow manage to simultaneously express heartbreak and hope. Elegantly raw, ferociously honest, The Swell Season—Hansard on guitar, Irglova on piano (for the most part)—has the alchemic ability to transform grief into joy with its simple yet magical sound.

David Carr of the New York Times recently profiled the duo, writing:

The pair could not be more different. Mr. Hansard is a gifted, emotive frontman who sings as if he must, with a heart on his sleeve that is constantly throbbing. Ms. Irglova is the embodiment of a harmonist, a supporting voice on the edge of the limelight whose feelings seem buried deep behind a smile of musical contentment.

BBC News and Billboard also recently featured interviews with Hansard. And in a sequel to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Hansard and Irglova performed a great set earlier this morning on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” from its Southern California studio.