Released 20 years ago
The Swell Season
Markéta Irglová · 2006
42 min · 10 tracks · folk rock
Tender melodies intertwine with heartfelt lyrics, creating an intimate atmosphere that resonates with the complexities of love and longing.
Top tracks — play these first
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Falling Slowly — This track's haunting melody and poignant lyrics encapsulate the essence of the album, showcasing Irglová's vocal vulnerability and emotional depth.
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This Low — Opening the album, this song sets a reflective tone with its gentle instrumentation and introspective lyrics, highlighting Irglová's songwriting prowess.
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When Your Minds Made Up — Duet dynamics between Irglová and Hansard create an engaging tension that captures the struggles of communication in relationships, making it a standout moment on the album.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's intimate acoustic style and emotional depth create a strong connection, though it remains somewhat conventional in its folk rock genre.
What we noticed
- The first three tracks establish a soft, acoustic sound with gentle instrumentation and layered harmonies that set an intimate tone.
- Several tracks feature a call-and-response vocal style between Irglová and Hansard, creating a conversational dynamic.
- The album includes moments of silence and sparse arrangements, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to resonate more deeply.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- gentle introspective moments
- steady emotional journeys
- immersive listening experiences
- thoughtful reflective atmospheres
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2006, 'The Swell Season' marked Markéta Irglová's debut album as a solo artist following her collaboration with Glen Hansard in the film 'Once'. This project came shortly after their Oscar-winning song 'Falling Slowly', propelling Irglová into the international spotlight and establishing her as a distinctive voice in folk rock.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Glen Hansard· Lisa Hannigan· Sufjan Stevens
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 This Low 4:55
- 2 Sleeping 3:37
- 3 Falling Slowly 4:51
- 4 Drown Out 5:38
- 5 Lies 3:57
- 6 When Your Minds Made Up 3:58
- 7 The Swell Season 2:55
- 8 Leave 3:19
- 9 The Moon 4:43
- 10 Alone Apart 4:49
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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