Hideaway

iTunes Review

There’s something seductive about the Weepies’ ability to express melancholy with a cheerful face. The now-married duo of Deb Talan and Steve Tannen make this emotional balancing act seem easy, especially on their third album Hideaway. Talan — a winsome singer in the fine folk-rock tradition of Mary Hopkin and Leigh Nash — dominates the album, supported by Tannen’s spot-on harmonies. Their minimalist yet melodic tunes hide an underlying resolve beneath their bittersweet surfaces. “Antarctica,” “All Good Things,” and “Wish I Could Forget” fend off gloom with bright acoustic-centered grooves. The Weepies capture a sense of childlike wonder in “Takes So Long” and the title tune and grapple with grown-up angst in “Lighting Candles” and “How You Survived the War.” “All This Beauty” closes the album on a buoyant note of encouragement. Supported up by Frank Lenz’s crisp drumming and Oliver Kraus’ subdued strings, Talan and Tannen create the feel of a living room concert. Chasing the blues away is a noble endeavor, and the Weepies pursue this goal with likeable whimsy and classy style on Hideaway.