Not new music: The Swell Season

I love it when, after listening to an album for several months, a previously unremarkable song suddenly catches your ear. I don't know what causes it - maybe the track was buried at the end of the record, maybe my ears needed time to adjust, or maybe I'm an idiot who wouldn't know a good song if it bit my ears off.

Whatever the reason, it has happened again. This time, it's a track from The Swell Season's second album, Strict Joy.

The Swell Season are Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. They won an Oscar in 2008 for the folksy soundtrack to small-budget indie romance Once - which they also starred in. You may remember that Irglova was bundled off-stage before she got to say thank you, but was asked back later to give a beautifully demure speech.

The song that has so belatedly caught my attention, I Have Loved You Wrong, is similarly humble. A delicate plea for forgiveness, its haunting piano refrain and simple, unadorned vocals are dangerous territory for those of you in the middle of a break-up.

I warn you now: If you're feeling a bit weepy this morning, the closing harmonies will literally tear you apart.

The Swell Season - I Have Loved You Wrong


The rest of the album is worth a listen, too. It's been out for ages, and you can buy it here. And if you've never seen Once - sort it out now!

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