Villagers is Conor O’Brien and friends, hailing from a tiny hamlet called Dublin, tucked away in Irish country. O’Brien’s debut album as Villagers, Becoming a Jackal, is out June 8 from Domino Records, and the community couldn’t be happier.
Only recently did Villagers hit US soil — playing shows in NYC and at SXSW — but O’Brien has been making a name for himself since 2009, when Villagers released their first EP, Hollow Kind, on Any Other City (Villagers’ drummer’s label. Villagers really are insular, aren’t they?). Over in Europe, Villagers have toured as support for huge names like Neil Young and Tracy Chapman, in addition to booking TV spots (they might as well do Ed Sullivan — or, well, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, at least).
It seems Young rubbed off on O’Brien, who has also drawn comparisons to David Axelrod, Robert Wyatt, and a number of pensively melancholy singer/songwriters like Rufus Wainwright and Paul Simon. Conor explains Becoming a Jackal: “We wanted to make it sound a bit like a Neil Young album, not to dress it up too much, like someone is whispering in your ear, but also to get the epic-ness at times.” Villagers guitarist Tommy McLaughlin engineered and co-produced the record (which was recorded in his home studio). Otherwise, O’Brien both designed the artwork and played all the instruments on the album, with the exception of strings and French horn.
Watch the video for the gorgeous single “Becoming a Jackal,” directed by Ferry Gouw and featuring Conor O’Brien singing in a meat cellar. O’Brien is joined on tour by a full band, so catch him when Villagers come to the US this June after their European tour with Tindersticks.
Tracklisting:
01. I Saw the Dead
02. Becoming a Jackal
03. Ship of Promises
04. The Meaning of the Ritual
05. Home
06. That Day
07. The Pact (I’ll Be Your Fever)
08. Set the Tigers Free
09. Twenty-Seven Strangers
10. Pieces
11. To Be Counted Among Men
• Villagers: http://wearevillagers.com
• Domino: http://www.dominorecordco.com
