14-06-2010, 10:54
released June 8th, 2010
![[Image: n92024llzh7.jpg]](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drn900/n920/n92024llzh7.jpg)
from the album - Becoming A Jackal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3sBblnrGik
from all music
Villagers, a solo vehicle for Irish singer/songwriter Conor J. OâBrien (the Immediate), specializes 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. Formed in the late 2000âs, the Dublin nativeâs debut album, Becoming a Jackal, was released on U.K. independent Domino Records in 2010.
album review
The debut from Dublin, Irelandâs Villagers is as lush and intricate as the actâs moniker suggests, but its creatorâs 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. OâBrien, Villagers is a one-man band, and a damn good one at that. Handling all of the duties (besides brass and stings), OâBrien 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 âI Saw the Deadâ and the infectious title cut, both of which present two sides of the artist â the former, a dreamy, dirge-like invocation of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and the latter a simple, reflective bit of folk-pop thatâs only a few vinyl scratches away from classic rock radio. Itâs a formula that he applies throughout the record, and while it doesnât always work, thereâs enough honesty in his rich, warm voice to render even the most forgettable tracks into pleasant diversions on the way to future favorites.
Track Listing
1 I Saw the Dead O'Brien 5:03
2 Becoming a Jackal O'Brien 3:19
3 Ship of Promises O'Brien 4:36
4 The Meaning of the Ritual O'Brien 3:14
5 Home O'Brien 4:41
6 That Day O'Brien 3:10
7 The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever) O'Brien 3:28
8 Set the Tigers Free O'Brien 3:22
9 Twenty-Seven Strangers O'Brien 3:24
10 Pieces O'Brien 5:25
11 To Be Counted Among Men O'Brien 4:43
from the album - Becoming A Jackal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3sBblnrGik
from all music
Villagers, a solo vehicle for Irish singer/songwriter Conor J. OâBrien (the Immediate), specializes 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. Formed in the late 2000âs, the Dublin nativeâs debut album, Becoming a Jackal, was released on U.K. independent Domino Records in 2010.
album review
The debut from Dublin, Irelandâs Villagers is as lush and intricate as the actâs moniker suggests, but its creatorâs 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. OâBrien, Villagers is a one-man band, and a damn good one at that. Handling all of the duties (besides brass and stings), OâBrien 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 âI Saw the Deadâ and the infectious title cut, both of which present two sides of the artist â the former, a dreamy, dirge-like invocation of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and the latter a simple, reflective bit of folk-pop thatâs only a few vinyl scratches away from classic rock radio. Itâs a formula that he applies throughout the record, and while it doesnât always work, thereâs enough honesty in his rich, warm voice to render even the most forgettable tracks into pleasant diversions on the way to future favorites.
Track Listing
1 I Saw the Dead O'Brien 5:03
2 Becoming a Jackal O'Brien 3:19
3 Ship of Promises O'Brien 4:36
4 The Meaning of the Ritual O'Brien 3:14
5 Home O'Brien 4:41
6 That Day O'Brien 3:10
7 The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever) O'Brien 3:28
8 Set the Tigers Free O'Brien 3:22
9 Twenty-Seven Strangers O'Brien 3:24
10 Pieces O'Brien 5:25
11 To Be Counted Among Men O'Brien 4:43