When someone pulls your heart out of your chest (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom-style) and uses that heart like a piece of cheese on a grater, do you then decide to make an album with that person? If you’re Ryan Hamilton you sure do, but only if you can flip the bird while you’re at it. Ryan Hamilton and Jencey Hirunrusme met, loved, recorded an album together, got engaged, and were almost married. Then they began living a nightmare—one was unfaithful (cough*Hirunrusme*cough), and the other was destroyed by the infidelity. How the duo came to a mutual decision to keep making music together is beyond me. Perhaps it should all be chalked up to channeling the feelings that make life so poignant.
In talking about their work, Hirunrusme commented, "The ironic thing about Smile Smile creating this album is that if we would have never broken up, then this album wouldn't exist. I feel like these songs are hopeful, devastating and so personal to us. I hope that it can reach out and speak to anyone who has had their heart broken." Hamilton added, "This record is a break-up record. It's our story and it's true. We have no intention of being mysterious about what we are to each other or what Truth on Tape is about." Kudos to you, kids. This is indeed truth on tape and that can be a rare thing these days.
“Tempo Bledsoe” starts off with a happy, eclectic vibe that doesn’t shout “fuck you for breaking my heart” like you might expect. But it’s only track one; give the album some time. The lyrics, “I was meant to be alone, but then you came and changed me, a wrecking ball of sorts sent to rearrange things, baby I hope you stick around,” darkly foreshadow that this is one love story that isn’t going to end well.
“Cancer” is catchy in a sing-song-folksy sort of way. It might be a bit trite for those of you who have known people with the titular illness, but you just can’t take the refrain, “Live your life like I’ve got cancer” too seriously. Don’t listen to the words themselves, but rather the message they suggest. Life does fly by and the brave thing Hamilton and Hirunrusme do is to show how open they were about embracing life, even when it got messy.
My favorite track is “Truth on Tape.” Hamilton’s leading vocals are crisp and clear, “You can’t escape when the truth is put on tape, baby play it back.” In some ways, I like him for writing this and I like her for singing it. I like him for making her face her mistakes and dishonesty. I like her for owning up to them. And yet, I don’t know how it serves either of them to keep playing it back, again and again. It might be time to just let it go.
With this album, you’re just not going to get any channeling of a Sid and Nancy-like passionate affair. The songs are melodramatic, but nothing that hits your solar plexus. They’re a little too upbeat for you to be knocked off your feet by the pain. They’re occasionally bitchy and catty, but never macabre. You’ll get a light, tender, heartfelt romantic tragicomedy of an album. And it’s OK. But, honestly, the lighter things tend to be forgotten.
Track List:
1. Tempo Bledsoe
2. Beg You to Stay
3. Cancer
4. Somebody Else
5. Truth on Tape
6. Move Along Folks...
7. Days Go By
8. The Attic
9. Sleepwalking
10. Goodbye Caroline
11. Labor Of Love
