Irish songster Conor J. O’Brien has been making quite a name for himself recently with an appearance on Later with Jools Holland and tours with the likes of Tindersticks and Wild Beasts to him name. And with interest in folk music at an all time high could this be Villagers chance to make hay whilst the sun shines?
The album opens with ‘I Saw the Dead’, a tender track with sombre strings, piano and softly sung vocals, the nature of the arrangement is very much reminiscent of Elliott Smith’s later period work and is a promising start to the record. Next track ‘Becoming a Jackal’ keeps up this high standard and again reminded this reviewer of another prominent singer-songwriter called Conor - Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst. Not only do the two singers look remarkably alike, they also both have a habit of driving lyrical themes home by meticulously annunciating their lyrics.
Through no fault of its own , at times this reviewer finds folk albums to drift slightly in the middle (perhaps due to listening to much Minor Threat or something) but Becoming a Jackal maintains a high standard throughout. ‘Ship of Promises’ has a lovely warm chorus and ‘The Meaning of the Ritual’ is an understated love song with tasteful brass and string accompaniment.
‘Home’ is another gentle number with a piano line in the chorus which sounded quite close to Father Ted’s Eurovision entry ‘My Lovely Horse’, probably not deliberately though and doesn’t impair the enjoyment of the track in anyway. The Pact’ is a simple but effective pop track, ‘Set the Tigers Free’ has a nice lilt about it and ‘Twenty-Seven Strangers’ sit comfortably with the likes of Beirut. The bittersweet number ‘Pieces’ provides a real showcase for O’Brien’s voice, his soaring croon works really well over the choppy piano line as he sings the refrain ‘I’ve been in pieces.’
If this album had to be described in one word it would definitely be understated. This might annoy some people but then most folk fans are a patient lot anyway so it probably wouldn’t put them off.
The album closes as strongly as it opened with the light, palate-cleansing ‘To be Counted Among Men’. Is it the strongest folk record released so far this year? Probably not but it’s still a very assured debut album from a songwriter with bagfuls of talent and definitely worth taking a gamble on if you see it in your local record store.
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