Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard, who released a self-titled album together as Strays Don’t Sleep in 2005, have reunited for the EP entitled A Short Film for a Long Story. The wonderful four songs on the EP complete a story arc through an atmospheric soundtrack of hope for troubled people in troubled times.
Since the release of their self-titled Strays Don’t Sleep debut, Ryan and Hubbard have gone in different directions. Ryan continues creating engaging music as a solo singer-songwriter, while Hubbard became a successful Nashville producer.
The new four-song EP features what Ryan’s website calls the pair’s “own brand of earthy, cinematic indie-folk.” Ryan and Hubbard envision the music as a soundtrack to a montage featured in an art film, steeped in themes of “perseverance, reclamation, and an embracement of the joys of being alive.”
From my listening, Ryan and Hubbard seem to use the EP format to track a relationship through troubles and reunion. More specifically, Ryan and Hubbard explain that the opening song “I Walked Away” is about reclamation: “It’s a song about man vs. himself, and how losing that battle affects others.” Ryan has also said the song is about “the dangers of being an asshole.”
Ryan’s weary voice on lead vocals in “I Walked Away” highlight the plea of the singer being so close to the edge that he might never return. At its heart, though, “I Walked Away” leaves open room for hope.
“I Walked Away” is followed by “A Woman Running,” which is an instrumental Ryan describes as about “a moment of hope for what you can be, and melancholy for losing what wasn’t working but was known”). That song turns into “Couldn’t Be Happier.”
The beginning notes of “Couldn’t be Happier” indicate a shift in tone for the four-song arc, indicating relief and hope in the face of challenges. Hubbard’s voice takes the lead here, trading off with Ryan later in the song. Their voices blend well together, so that one might hope that Hubbard, like Ryan, would release more solo music in his own voice.
The EP ends with the inspiring “Hope is a Love Song.” Ryan has compared “Hope is a Love Song” to the feeling one gets after driving all night to get home, finally arriving at the destination where loved ones wait to greet you.
One of the reasons I love great music is that it can speak to listeners in different ways, even though the artist may not have intended those interpretations. For example, while listening to this EP on repeat play the last few weeks, I have been worrying about a friend in an emotionally abusive relationship and these songs brought comfort.
I found comfort and hope through the trajectory of A Short Film for a Long Story. In the music, I heard my friend’s situation through the first song recounting a person losing themselves in a bad situation. Then, through the instrumental “A Woman Running,” I heard escape. And finally with the last two songs, I heard the hope for a future of finding a new life and love. Even though Strays Don’t Sleep may have intended to track a divide and reunion, I found my own connection to the music for my current moment.
Reunion
Speaking of reunion, listeners may wonder why there was a 15-year hiatus from Strays Don’t Sleep music when the duo still had such wonderful music to share. Ryan has explained that there was a foolish and youthful divide that emerged between the two. But maturity and wisdom helped bring them back together when they wrote these songs in October 2019. And then came the strange world circumstances, such as the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. politics. These events compelled the two men to record and release this vital music on A Short Film for a Long Story.
Finally, Hubbard and Ryan indicate they do not plan to wait fifteen more years to work together. Music seems to have the power to heal old wounds. And their reunion has created beautiful music of reconciliation and hopefulness during our current era of despair.
Or as Hubbard puts it:”I feel at the heart of this EP there is a story about looking in the mirror to find the way out. Modern living has told us we are participating in a story that we don’t have control over, that we must believe certain things to find our value and belonging. Ultimately we have the power to walk away from self-destruction. We can choose to love ourselves and each other.”
It is not a bad message for these days. And A Short Film for a Long Story comes with some wonderful healing music for our tortured souls too.
A Short Film for a Long Story is available on Bandcamp. Leave your two cents in the comments.
