My introduction to Glen Hansard, an Irish artist who tragically passed away today in Dublin, was this film Once. In the film, Hansard plays the male lead, a struggling, shy folk musician, though in real life he had already had a fairly successful music career. The female lead, Markéta Irglová, is a Czech-born musician, and in the movie they strike up a relationship of both musical collaboration and friendship. I love director John Carney's movies because they do a good job of portraying the experience of creating music inside a dramatic narrative. Hansard starts the movie with just him and a guitar on an empty street in Dublin and it was so passionate and beautiful, I was immediately hooked. You get to see songs in progress of being written, songs recorded in the studio, and even the occasional concert performance, if I remember correctly. Much of this music was written by the performers on this album, and you feel how invested they are in these songs as they perform them. It's been too long since I've watched this movie, but it's beautiful to listen to the music today in memory of this very talented songwriter and musician. Hansard and Irglová also performed as a duo The Swell Season after this, and Hansard was also the lead of long-time rock band The Frames. Rest in peace, Mr. Hansard, and prayers for your band mates and family.

Release Year: 2007
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