Villagers | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Villagers, a vehicle for Irish singer/songwriter Conor J. OBrien, specialize in atmospheric indie folk/chamber pop that balances the youthful exuberance of contemporaries Jens Lekman, Eugene McGuinness, and Johnny Flynn with the classic rock and pop of artists like Paul Simon and Robert Wyatt. The group enjoyed immediate success with the release of 2010s Becoming a Jackal, topping the charts in Ireland, rising high on the British indie charts, and earning a shortlist nomination for the prestigious Mercury Prize. Electronic influences would find their way into the Villagers sound on albums like 2013s wayland and 2018s The Art of Pretending to Swim, but OBrien and his collaborators never lost touch with their thoughtful folk roots, especially on 2016s Where Have You Been All My Life? After the breakup of his indie rock band the Immediate, OBrien began writing his own solo material and formed Villagers in the late 2000s. A four-track EP appeared in 2009 and was performed entirely by the Irishman. OBrien soon realized that he would need a band to re-create his burgeoning ideas live, so he hastily recruited Tommy McLaughlin, Danny Snow, James Byrne, and Cormac Curran. There was a quiet buzz about OBriens new project among music critics and fans, which eventually transferred into support slots for Neil Young and a European tour with Tracy Chapman. The Dublin natives debut album, Becoming a Jackal, was released on U.K. independent Domino Records in 2010, making him the first Irish act on the label. The record was highly praised across the board and went on to receive a nomination for the coveted Mercury Music Prize, while OBrien won the prestigious 2011 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for the albums title track. Toward the end of 2012, Villagers announced the release of their sophomore albums first single, "The Waves," which marked a change in direction, adding an electronic influence to their indie folk sound. The full-length album, wayland, arrived in early 2013. In 2015, OBrien returned Villagers to a more introspective acoustic folk sound with the groups third full-length album, Darling Arithmetic. Their 2016 release, Where Have You Been All My Life?, was recorded at Londons RAK studio in a single day and featured re-recordings of early material, the majority of the songs captured in one or two takes. The band eschewed overdubs or extensive post-production in favor of a more pared-back, intimate sound; the album also introduced a new edition of the group, with Gwion Llewelyn and Mali Llywelyn signing on after McLaughlin and Byrne parted ways with OBrien. It wasnt long before OBrien was ready to return to the studio to record another proper full-length record. He wanted to reconnect with the sound he had forged on Villagers first two records, and the result was 2018s The Art of Pretending to Swim, which added elements of soul and electronic pop to an already varied stylistic palette. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 7 Title: Hollow Kind Released: 2009-02 Tracks: 4 Duration: 16:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Down, Under The Sea (03:16) 2 For a Long, Long Time Ive Been In Pieces (05:03) 3 The Meaning Of The Ritual (04:17) 4 The Sun Is Hanging From a String (04:17) |
 | Album: 2 of 7 Title: Becoming a Jackal Released: 2010-05-24 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Saw the Dead (05:03) 2 Becoming a Jackal (03:19) 3 Ship of Promises (04:36) 4 The Meaning of the Ritual (03:14) 5 Home (04:41) 6 That Day (03:10) 7 The Pact (Ill Be Your Fever) (03:28) 8 Set the Tigers Free (03:22) 9 Twenty-Seven Strangers (03:24) 10 Pieces (05:25) 11 To Be Counted Among Men (04:43) |
| Becoming a Jackal : Allmusic album Review : The debut from Dublin, Ireland’s Villagers is as lush and intricate as the act’s moniker suggests, but its creator’s idea of what constitutes a proper settlement is clearly in question. Formed after the break-up of indie rockers the Immediate by singer/songwriter/multi instrumentalist Conor J. O’Brien, Villagers is a one-man band, and a damn good one at that. Handling all of the duties (besides brass and stings), O’Brien has crafted a warm, weary, and highly listenable first album that shows that you can go it alone without going lo-fi. Part Conor Oberst, part Paul Simon, and a whole lot of Jens Lekman and King Creosote, Becoming a Jackal starts out strong with the one-two punch of “I Saw the Dead” and the infectious title cut, both of which present two sides of the artist -- the former, a dreamy, dirge-like invocation of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and the latter a simple, reflective bit of folk-pop that’s only a few vinyl scratches away from classic rock radio. It’s a formula that he applies throughout the record, and while it doesn’t always work, there’s enough honesty in his rich, warm voice to render even the most forgettable tracks into pleasant diversions on the way to future favorites. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 7 Title: Live At The Workmans Club, Dublin Released: 2011-04-16 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ship of Promises (04:11) 2 The Meaning of the Ritual (04:26) 3 Twenty-Seven Strangers (03:55) 4 On a Sunlit Stage (04:25) 5 Set the Tigers Free (03:22) 6 Becoming a Jackal (03:57) 7 In a Newfound Land You Are Free (03:07) 8 Pieces (03:44) 9 To Be Counted Among Men (04:54) 10 The Pact (Ill Be Your Fever) (03:43) 11 Home (05:17) |
 | Album: 4 of 7 Title: {Awayland} Released: 2013-01-14 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Lighthouse (03:00) 2 Earthly Pleasure (04:10) 3 The Waves (05:01) 4 Judgement Call (03:23) 5 Nothing Arrived (03:46) 6 The Bell (05:09) 7 {Awayland} (02:35) 8 Passing a Message (03:00) 9 Grateful Song (04:25) 10 In a Newfound Land You Are Free (03:31) 11 Rhythm Composer (05:07) |
| {Awayland} : Allmusic album Review : The second album of any artists career is always a difficult one to deliver and possibly more so if your debut reaped critical praise, a Mercury Prize nomination, and an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. This was the situation Conor J. OBrien and his band Villagers found themselves in when writing their sophomore record, wayland. The Irishman had hit a wall after two years of touring debut Becoming a Jackal and found creativity hard to come by. It was at this point that OBrien turned his mind away from the confessional, brooding folk-pop of his first effort and purchased a synthesizer, drum machine, and sampler. Over the period of a year he taught himself to create basic electronic music that slowly evolved into the soundscapes and noises that went on to form the framework of the second record. The textures and layers that these electronic influences have created give a wonderful depth to otherwise folk-pop tracks "Judgment Call" and string-laden album ender "Rhythm Composer," while the frantic verses and melodic chorus of "Earthly Pleasure" wouldnt sound out of place on a Bright Eyes record. Album highlight "The Waves" unfolds gently from a Morse code-like bleep and eventually flourishes into the more familiar sound of horns, piano, and gently plucked guitars, until it ends in a noisy swell of feedback, crunching guitars, and synths. Another audible change is brought by the fact that OBrien collaborated with his band for the recording of this second Villagers album. The songs feel fuller as a result, and without the burden of playing every instrument, the Irishman has concentrated his efforts into his lyrics. These are influenced by literary luminaries such as Slaughterhouse 5 author Kurt Vonnegut alongside songwriters Nick Drake and Curtis Mayfield. The creative progression OBrien exhibits here leaves no lingering questions of doubt whether he would succumb to the dreaded second album syndrome, and regardless of awards, wayland sees the Irishman at his best, both musically and lyrically. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 7 Title: Darling Arithmetic Released: 2015-04-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Courage (04:47) 2 Everything I Am Is Yours (03:30) 3 Dawning on Me (03:19) 4 Hot Scary Summer (04:20) 5 The Soul Serene (04:10) 6 Darling Arithmetic (03:42) 7 Little Bigot (03:49) 8 No One to Blame (03:35) 9 So Naïve (04:58) |
| Darling Arithmetic : Allmusic album Review : Coming off Villagers highly touted, Mercury Prize-nominated debut, 2010s Becoming a Jackal, singer/songwriter Conor J. OBrien updated his groups atmospheric baroque pop sound with the addition of various synthesizers and drum machines, as well as creative collaboration with a working group of bandmates. Subsequently, Villagers sophomore album, 2013s wayland, was an even more robust, sonically layered production. Rather than sticking with a more-is-more approach, OBrien has taken the exact opposite tack for his third album, 2015s Darling Arithmetic, forgoing a group sound and instead working once again as a true solo act. To this end, Darling Arithmetic is possibly even more insular than Becoming a Jackal, with OBrien largely favoring acoustic guitar, piano, and softly sung lyrics ripe with the scent of a relationship in trouble. In "Everything I Am Is Yours," he sings "I am just a man/Tipping on a wire/Tightrope walking fool/Balanced on desire/I cannot control/These ever-changing ways/So how can I be sure/The feeling will remain/Itll always change." This skeptical desire for love is echoed later in "Hot Scary Summer," as he addresses problems with a possible lover with "So you thank me for my hard work/But youve had it up to there/Cause this shouldnt be hard work/But Ill fight to care if youd care to fight." Musically, much -- if not all -- of Darling Arithmetic is pitched at a slow, dream-inducing pace and, while lushly recorded, feels smaller in scope than even Villagers debut. Admittedly, these are also slower-burning compositions that lack the hooks and pop immediacy of much of Villagers previous work. Ultimately, however, the pulling back feels intentional and fitting for an album of songs that always seem born out of OBriens most personal experiences. As he sings on "The Soul Serene," "So I go walking on the shore/And I wonder what Im walking for...and I find chameleon dreams in my mind." | ||
 | Album: 6 of 7 Title: Where Have You Been All My Life? Released: 2016-01-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Set the Tigers Free (04:32) 2 Everything I Am Is Yours (04:19) 3 My Lighthouse (02:44) 4 Courage (04:33) 5 That Day (04:56) 6 The Soul Serene (04:49) 7 Memoir (03:26) 8 Hot Scary Summer (04:21) 9 The Waves (07:06) 10 Darling Arithmetic (03:52) 11 So Naive (05:59) 12 Wichita Lineman (04:00) |
 | Album: 7 of 7 Title: The Art of Pretending to Swim Released: 2018-09-21 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Again (04:28) 2 A Trick of the Light (04:08) 3 Sweet Saviour (04:36) 4 Long Time Waiting (05:09) 5 Fool (03:18) 6 Love Came with All That It Brings (05:29) 7 Real Go - Getter (03:25) 8 Hold Me Down (04:38) 9 Ada (06:10) |
| The Art of Pretending to Swim : Allmusic album Review : While ostensibly a group, from the beginning Villagers have primarily been a vehicle for Conor J. OBrien and his songs, and their stylistic shifts have been the product of OBrien following his muse rather than an evolution prompted by an interaction between the leader and his bandmates. In case any of his fans were unclear on that, 2018s The Art of Pretending to Swim includes the credit, "All songs written, produced, performed and engineered by Conor J. OBrien," and with OBrien fully behind the controls, its not surprising that this finds him stepping back from the spare, organic acoustic frameworks of 2016s Where Have You Been All My Life? Instead, this recalls the cleaner electronic textures of 2013s wayland, though OBrien has stepped up his game since then. This music feels warmer and more naturalistic than his earlier experiments with one-man recording, and theres a gentle swing in the rhythms that suggests hes been listening to some smooth R&B; lately. And while there are echoes of OBriens folkie inclinations in the melodies, overall this is a well-crafted exercise in adventurous but accessible contemporary pop, which sometimes stands in contrast with the lyrics. Perhaps as a product of OBrien creating this on his own, The Art of Pretending to Swim finds him taking a deep look inward as a lyricist, with most of these songs dealing with matters of faith. OBrien wrestles with the delicate balance of belief ("Again") and intrusive realities ("Long Time Waiting"), with the push and pull between divine and earthly love ("Love Came With All That It Brings") not far from his thoughts. While once upon a time one would expect songwriters acoustic albums to be their most introspective, The Art of Pretending to Swim is a strong example of how one man with an unlimited number of tracks to fill can create a compelling and revealing collection of songs. If this doesnt always sound like what one would expect from Villagers, its emotional impact shows that its clearly OBriens work. | ||