AR: Once Soundtrack

Primarily Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once: Music From the Motion Picture (2007)

In the arsenal of every acoustic guitar-wielding balladeer is the *Emote Dynamic*, usually accomplished by beginning with contemplative/plaintive whisper-singing and soft-strumming and then cresceNDOING the everloving hell out of it to POWER STRUMS and SCREAMS. It's a weapon that is effective in small doses, though some listeners seemingly can't get enough of it. It certainly divides the indie crowds into camps, or really just divides me - I *love* In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, which could be said to use the dynamic at times, but for the most part can't stomach the same sorts of antics when they come from, e.g., Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame. Per usual w/r/t my taste in music, it can boil down to some analysis-defying aspect of the person's voice - though I'm guessing it has something to do with degree of high / piercing /shrill that the singing achieves. But it's also just an unsubtle technique - screaming about one's pain, "emo" or no, is not exactly original, and it can strike me as a cheap way to get a point across.

As far as Once (is concerned): Oh! The Emoting! Glen Hansard goes to the well way too many times on this album for my tastes. I hate for it to be the first thing I mention, but it's grating and stands out. I'm talking about the tracks "Lies," "Leave," the end of "Once," and GOOD LORD, the closing track "Say it to Me." It even pops up a little bit on the entirely lovely Oscar-winning track "Falling Slowly;" for contrast, it's used pretty effectively (meaning in a more natural non-"look at me EMOTE" way) on another good track, "When Your Mind's Made Up." The problem is that once you've heard that voice lose its bounds, you start to anticipate it even when it doesn't AND get irritated by it in places it otherwise would be appropriate; i.e. you too strongly associate the offensive technique with his voice in general. So he, not just the tic, puts you on guard, which is especially unfortunate because he absolutely does not need to do it: check out the lovely and vocally unaffected "All the Way Down" where his restraint manages to convey just as much emotion.

That, really, is just the thing: the explosions* are unnecessary, because this disc overfloweth with beautiful moments. The entire work is an intimate late-night affair, and is way beyond charming if you don't mind the tics. The Oscar-winner, as mentioned, is lovely, as are all of the other songs that feature Marketa Irglova - "If You Want Me" is a flat out spooky, enchanting French/Gypsy-tinged ballad, and her plain piano and strings solo piece "The Hill" wins, too. I really enjoy the synth-driven "Fallen From the Sky," though from there out the back half of the disc sags a bit (this disc is definitely top-heavy, as the first four tracks are pretty easily the most memorable tunes from the film).

* - All of this commentary, of course, may speak less to the aesthetic qualities of the music and more to my own discomfort with sleeve-worn raw emotion, but I really don't think so. I just don't like getting screamed at in an acoustic guitar context. :)

That is another great thing about the disc - it does quickly call the quirky beauty of the movie to mind, so if you liked the film as much as I did, you can't help but feel a little bit of viewer nostalgia for the songs that centered it. In that respect, it's a great film soundtrack, and even if I'm not entirely on board with this sort of music's delivery, I do thoroughly enjoy re-hearing these highlights.

Status: Recommended (solid)
Nyet's Fave: "If You Want Me"