Marketa Irglova - Muna

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 14 / 11 / 2014

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So packed is Marketa Irglova's biography, it’s a surprise to be reminded that she is still only in her mid-twenties. Having recently relocated to Iceland to live with her husband, producer and engineer Sturla Mio Thorisson and their baby girl, 'Muna' represents a very obvious journey of discovery and by a distance her most ambitious music yet. Irglova came to public attention in the surprise hit musical film Once, playing 'girl' opposite Glen Hansard's 'guy'. The pair had already collaborated on a low key album before making the film, Hansard taking a break from his band the Frames, and those songs made up most of the film's soundtrack. Made on a tiny budget, the film was a surprise hit and won Hansard and Irglova an Oscar for best song. Rather than – as many pundits expected – moving to Hollywood and cashing in on their fame, Hansard and Irglova both confirmed their intention to continue recording music. A second album duly followed, released after their romantic relationship ended. Though they initially continued to perform together, it proved to be their last act as a duo. After a moderately well received debut solo album in 2012, Irglova returns with this expansive, expressive suite of songs. In the Swell Season’, she was very much the junior partner (and not just as she was considerably younger than Hansard) and tended to contribute low key ballads. You will hear echoes of her earlier work on ‘Muna’, but her melodies are more strident, her arrangements more elaborate and her lyrics more ambitious. Described on the cover as a 'deeply spiritual' album, you quickly learn that is no exaggeration when ‘Muna’ begins with the chanting of a church choir. At several points, Irglova addresses her songs directly to God. In a sense, this is a continuation of an earlier theme in her songwriting, with Irglova regularly using her songs to beg, internally, for some kind of guidance. Where before she sung to a 'Fantasy Man', the now happily married Irglova has turned her questioning elsewhere. Though at one point, we find her reciting the Lord’s Prayer, Irglova aims to look at religion in a broader sense – she does not advocate any particular religion, and the inclusion of Iranian daf player Aida Shahghasemi emphasises this multicultural aspect. Beautifully packaging with a painted portrait of a bird and extensive liner notes, the music's presentation lives up to the box. The songs are adorned with complex arrangements that add depth but never seem overpowering – and when Irglova's songs take flight - especially on 'Phoenix', which could pass for a centuries old folk ballad or on 'Without A Map', which finds Irglova refining the lilting ballads she contributed to 'Once' – it is wonderfully effective. Alas, there is room for improvement. Too many songs of a similar pace and mood make the 51 minute run time seem too long, while Irglova is occasionally too keen to give space to her collaborators. 'Seasons Change', for example, is rather spoiled by an off-key chant sung by a young child in its final moment, while the Iranian interlude on 'Fortune Teller' feels unnecessary. Nevertheless, those missteps do not undermine the overall impression of a significant musical leap forward, and don't stop the songs that do work from sounding fantastic. The overriding impression is of a songwriter who has much more to offer – and who may yet make her Oscar winning adventures a footnote to a much longer story.

Track Listing:-

1 Point of Creation
2 Time Immemorial
3 The Leading Bird
4 Fortune Teller
5 Without a Map
6 Remember Who You Are
7 Mary
8 Phoenix
9 Seasons Change
10 Gabriel
11 This Right Here

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/MarketaIrglova
http://marketairglova.com/
https://twitter.com/marketairglova

Label Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/antirecords
http://antirecords.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/antirecords
https://twitter.com/antirecords
http://www.anti.com/

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