Villagers – {Awayland} (2013)

Villagers is basically Dublin folk singer-songwriter Conor J O’Brien, and this follow-up to the Mercury-nominated 2010 debut Becoming A Jackal has firmly shunned any fear of the ‘difficult second album’. {Awayland} certainly showcases a more confident sound, with bigger, standout tracks that could ultimately be more commercially popular. O’Brien seems to have experimented with an unlikely techno style particularly in the impressive track ‘The Waves’, while the anthemic chorus of ‘Earthly Pleasure’ is one any stadium-worthy rock band would be proud of. Despite evidently moving his sound forward, certain aspects remain, showing that Villagers are still doing everything they did right on the debut.

 O’Brien’s desperate, sorrowful vocals and reflective narratives that his fans so loved from the folky first album feel just as at home on {Awayland}. With a beautiful instrumental title track and ‘In a Newfound Land You are Free’ proving as gentle as his past releases, O’Brien shows that he’s still the delicate, gentle soul we know and love.