CheekyChicago

When The Weepies came on the scene in 2006 with their critically acclaimed debut, Say I Am You, it seemed that the harmonizing husband and wife team of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan were masters of a dreamlike universe. Indeed, tracks like “World Spins Madly On” evoked images of a lazy yet peaceful state of mind where “I watch the stars from my windowsill / The whole world is moving and I’m standing still.”

Their second major-label release, Hideaway, has the same calming effect as the first album, but it has more of a poppy, light sound. Backed by simple acoustic guitars and drumbeats for the majority of the album, the duo’s harmony is once again pitch-perfect – giving the illusion that this journey is a happy-go-lucky one. Ironically, the lyrics paint a darker picture and weigh heavily – Tannen and Talan are road-weary travelers in each song snapshot, rather than active sightseers. They were admittedly tired: on the group’s website, Talan expressed feeling disconnected and “empty” after being on the road for so long.

If the songs are taken individually, they are hit or miss – though the lyrics are consistently strong. The first track, “Can’t Go Back Now”, is a great opener. Tannen takes the lead vocal and wistfully sings “Yesterday when you were young / Everything you needed done was done for you / Now you do it on your own / But you find you’re all alone, what can you do / You and me walk on.” The song “Wish I Could Forget” delves into the challenge a relationship presents: “Standing in the sun smoking quiet cigarettes / Just before I let you down / Funny how a heart shatters all at once / Seems like it should make a sound.” On the other hand, the second track, “Orbiting”, sounds too cloudy and smashed together, and covers up what should be Talan’s soothing vocals.

All in all, this is a perfect album to unwind to… and you probably won’t sob.