Dublin musician Conor O'Brien returns with his sixth album as Villagers. That Golden Time veers between intimate material that's precisely rendered, and tunes with a larger, more expansive sound. As always, O'Brien makes personal indie of a sort not easily replicated by anyone else.
The lovely "First Responder" is like a whispered confession before it builds into a swelling coda, while "I Want What I Don't Need" is even better. O'Brien anchors the melody of this lead single around his warm vocals and a plucked guitar figure, even as strings hover around the edges of the song. It's a marvelous piece of work and one which strikes just the right note between serious and playful. And, thankfully, there's lots on That Golden Time that's just as effective.
While Conor O'Brien adds a mass of sounds and keyboard noises to "Keepsake", enough to make that one nearly an anthem of sorts, the whole of That Golden Time retains an intimacy that is refreshing. The trappings of radio-friendly indie are here, but Villagers make music that is original in its outlook. Sure, That Golden Time has a sleek sheen about it, with production that renders each piece of the sonic puzzle something distinct, but O'Brien sells this with conviction. I found myself thinking of similar bands from the past (Mull Historical Society) and present (Future Islands), and kind of enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. These are tunes which should be big hits on alternative radio -- or whatever they call it these days -- but which are, ultimately, personal meditations which suggest depths in Conor O'Brien's craft as deep as those in the work of any contemporary singer-songwriter.
That Golden Time by Villagers is out now via Domino.
[Photo: Andrew Whitton]