Strict Joy - The Swell Season
Strict Joy Image
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.8 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova release their follow-up to the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film "Once."

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. All Music Guide
    90
    Strict Joy is a joy from start to finish, as few bands manage to mix intimacy and sweeping songcraft with such finesse.
  2. Alternative Press
    80
    The emotional tension between his folksier-Damien Rice brogue and her crystal-clear lilt, especially on 'The Verb,' keeps the listener enamoured, even if the singers no longer are. [Dec 2009, p.117]
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  3. Spin
    80
    Heartache swells from these swooning folk-pop tunes, but the presence of both of the relationship's combatants ensures that they never drown in it.
  4. Under The Radar
    60
    Strict Joy ultimately feels like a great breakup album without the aftermath of an actual breakup. [Fall 2009, p.60]
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See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. SherriM.
    10
    I think this CD has some gems: Feeling the Pull, High Horses, Paper Cup, Two Tongues, Love that Conquers. Brilliant song writing and singing.
  2. [Anonymous]
    9
    Far more reaching in scope than the band's debut or soundtrack. A break-up album that sounds more alive than the "falling in love" ones prior. Look forward to Glen and Mar keeping this thing going.… Expand
  3. Ricko
    8
    Having initially brought out the eponymous "The Swell Season", the Frames frontman's side project really took off with their Oscar win for Falling Slowly used in the film Once. Strict Joy is a strange follow up to their debut and the Once soundtrack. It's got much more of a full band sound which they never had before. It kind of gets stuck half way between a Frames record and a Swell Season record which takes from the album. Some of the songs are even old Frames songs first seeing the light of day here. Because it takes tracks from all over the place and has songs written across a period of many years, it has an inconsistent feel for me. It's got some great stuff on it but most of that is when Glen Hansard takes centre stage and drowns out Marketa. Where she made their previous work stand out, she adds very little to the best tracks on this record and the songs where she is prominent are the poorer ones on the album. Glen is bringing out a solo album this year - perhaps he should have held some of this material back for that or for a final Frames record but as it is this record falls between 2 stools for me.… Expand
  4. fitchpork
    7
    Ok, and worth treasuring since they have gone their separate ways. But go find the first Swell Season album, the one they recorded between filming "Once" and its release when they were still unknown to all but Frames fans.… Expand

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