Glen Hansard opens his fourth album This Wild Willing in a whispering, almost like way. Slowly but surely the instruments swell to a fierce climax. Bombasm and intimacy are not far removed from each other with Hansard. What is striking is how quickly the Irish singer-songwriter switches from resigned folk to explosive orchestrated pieces with strings, wind instruments and electronics. The record
… was created after Hansard met two Iranian artist immigrants and that spurred him to take a different path than on his third album (2018) store. That's why you also hear Arabic instruments on this album, which was recorded in Paris. The whole comes across more powerful than his previous album and Hansard often takes more time to develop his songs. The richness of the album translates into beautiful layered songs with a multicultural slant. (JvQ)more
