"on the first day of the rest of your life..."
Villagers' swelling and breathing piece of cinematic pop "The First Day" starts like a vintage not fully formed idea, an embryonic stir of melody and then it explodes into a multi-colored dream. This dream is pushed by chamber pop orchestration, pumping / shifting squashed drum sounds and Conor O'Brien's caressed vocal aesthetic. What anchors this track into such a beautiful groove are the at once delicate and eruptive drums with trip hop affections, the elusive wandering bass line (sultry) and the nice details like vibe bells mirroring Brien's melody (from time to time). When the song literally explodes into a massive dance with trumpets soaring and a choir of backing vox it feels lavishly surreal.
Villagers' fifth studio album "Fever Dreams" will be released on August 20th via Domino.
-Robb Donker Curtius
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Villagers are an Irish indie folk project from Dublin, created in 2008 by Conor J. O'Brien.
Villagers came to prominence in 2010 with the release of the debut album, Becoming a Jackal. Released to critical acclaim, the album was shortlisted for the 2010 Mercury Prize and the Choice Music Prize. The second studio album, {Awayland} was released in 2013. It won the Choice Music Prize that year and was also shortlisted for the 2013 Mercury Prize. In 2015 they released their third album, Darling Arithmetic, and the following year Where Have You Been All My Life? - a compilation of live reworkings of some of the band's best-known tracks. In May 2016 Darling Arithmetic won the Ivor Novello award for Best Album.
Villagers have performed at several music festivals and toured with Grizzly Bear, Tracy Chapman, Bell X1, Tindersticks and Elbow.
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