Grade:  9/10

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Listen to “High Horses” from Strict Joy

Strict Joy, as a concept album, may be the most moving, musical composition that the music industry will behold all year.  Chronicling the aftermath of a torrid love affair between ex-lovers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, it is Joy’s longing effect that make it both epic and heartbreaking.

The duo’s first outing, the Once soundtrack, found a couple falling hopelessly in love and critics simply couldn’t resist the simple, romantic whirlwind set to film.  After both acting in the indie-flick, and composing the official soundtrack, the Swell Season were immediately heralded as media darlings from the underground.  However, after eventually winning an Oscar for best original song, the doomed tragedy of a Shakespearean sonnet would lead the two to begin crafting the forelorn melodies of 2009′s Joy.

It isn’t so much the lyrics or even the composition (which is raw yet flawless) that moves Strict Joy along; it is the very shakiness and sincerity of Hansard’s voice.  Commanding most of the lead-vocal duties, his voice echoes and pops through an impressive range.  Layred over blues-ballads and math-rock movements, Hansard’s focus is apparent . . . it’s a genuine love for the person he’s with . . . or was with.

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Grade:  7/10

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Listen to “New Moon Rising” from Cosmic Egg

After ascending to rock ‘n’ roll valhalla with their self-titled debut in 2005, Wolfmother quickly dissolved.  As most astoundingly-chaotic-yet-cohesive bands do, the great stoner rock machine that was Wolfmother went the way of At The Drive-In when bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett left the group due to “irreconcilable differences”, creating an indefinite hiatus for the trio.  Soon after, however, lead singer and guitarist Andrew Stockdale vowed to keep the Wolfmother name, and subsequently the legend, alive and would continue on with new members added to the fold.

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