Glen Hansard – Don’t Settle (Vol. 1 – Transmissions East) Review 

Tender beauties and a country folk consistency is what Glen Hansard has offered these last few years. He never went anywhere, but it feels like he’s back all the same. Don’t Settle (Vol. 1 – Transmissions East) is a chance to hear his works adapted to the stage. What can the intimacy and emotional vibrancy of a live show offer? For Hansard, lots. A menacing opener, which serves as the title track, sets the scene brilliantly. These are songs not of triumph but a call to arms for personal goals. Whatever it is that a listener hopes to achieve, Hansard sounds as though he has their back fully. He’s committed to gauging their thrills, and it’s as though his hammering away on the piano and the thrills of percussion that appear afterwards is going to change the tide. Hopefully, it does. Don’t Settle serves as a remarkable start to what becomes a brilliant example of Hansard as an ever-changing artist.  

His command of tone and tempo is second to none. He rises and falls with the same volatility as his title track, a masterclass in using the harshness of a voice as a way to soften the blow of those reality checks and moments of lacking respect. There’s a touch of the Nick Cave to Hansard as a performer, but not as a songwriter. What Hansard offers is massively different but he nails the contrast of calm and aggression with such skill across Don’t Settle (Vol. 1 – Transmissions East). Instrumental thrills are frequent across this album, with much of it seemingly made to offer an alternative to the calmer waters Hansard has sailed in the past. This is rock and roll at its finest, a heightened and adrenaline-chasing thrill ride that plants him at the core of an energetic and skilful set. Down on Our Knees is built up brilliantly. That instrumental thrill towards the end that shows no sign of stopping is stronger because of when it ends, what it turns into from there. A real delight of a song.  

Boisterous, bold, and often emphatic work is what Hansard provides across Don’t Settle (Vol. 1 – Transmissions East). His style is constant; that thrill-seeking momentum never leaves him. Crucial to all the instrumental thrills found on Fitzcarraldo is the contrast and balance with those softer, piano-led moments. Carrickfergus takes listeners to a beautiful spot of intimate joys. That feeling of sitting adjacent to a bar band, taking in the atmosphere. Hansard, somehow, carries that occasion and spirit across Don’t Settle (Vol. 1 – Transmissions East) despite their, likely, being no piano in the room with you. His intimacy is his strength and he’s keen to administer it across this latest album. Hansard finds that softer touch on Lowly Deserter but that swinging percussion, the crashes of cymbals and heaviness that comes from the live thrills are right at the core of this rendition.  

Wonderful work the whole way through but what stands out most of all is Hansard’s staggering, strong voice. He’s a master vocalist with plenty of moving, moody pieces of work. They often fall into relying on improvised-sounding instrumental spectacles, and it suits the songs well. Lowly Deserter is an excellent example of that, with its gutsy saxophone work and the deeper thrills of a fine vocal range. Don’t Settle (Vol. 1 – Transmissions East) highlights not only the strength of Hansard’s voice but his desire to innovate with songs that sound tailor-made for change. He adapts, twists, and redefines his studio classics with a gutsy and brilliant performance that brings out the best in his work.