‘Becoming a Jackal’ is the first album released by Dublin based Villagers, the namesake of Conor J. O’Brien, and contains eleven tracks of beautiful folk tinged pop, with some excellent lyrics thrown into the mix, all sung in a distinctive, clear voice, sometimes fragile, sometimes strong, but always listenable. In fact this is one of the best debut albums that I’ve heard this year.
Opening track ‘I Saw The Dead’ is haunting and eerie with a piano/violin melody which suits the storytelling of the lyrics perfectly.
“Have you got a minute? Are you easily led?/Let me show you the back room where I saw the dead,Dancing like children on a midsummer morn/ And they asked me to join. They asked me to join”.
This is a great opening track where Conor sets out themes that run through the album, of alienation and loss, yet is startling in its beauty.
‘Becoming a Jackal’ is locked into a 60’s folk vibe and strongly reminiscent of Love’s ‘Forever Changes’ in places. This is the latest single from the album, and another strong track.
“You would offer me your unmade bed/ Feed me ‘til I’m fed, and read me ‘til I’m read/ But when the morning came,You would catch me at the window again/In an eyes-wide-open sleeping state/ Staring into space with no look upon my face”.
‘Ship of Promises’ is faster with a nice drum beat that propels the melody along, and with the lyrics dealing with relationship problems.
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“Another day: another denial. Every longing is up on trial”.
‘The Meaning of the Ritual’ is a stark, funereal ballad with a bittersweet sting in the lyrics: -
“My love is selfish, And it cares not who it hurts/ It will cut you out to satisfy its’ thirst”.
‘Home’ starts off with some nice harmonies, but the edgy lyrics make you think a bit more deeply about family relationships: -
“A girl with a look in her eyes, as if to say ‘I despise such poisonous family ties’/But a poison as sweet as a nectar could never forget or neglect her”.
Other tracks that remain in the memory well after the CD has ceased spinning, are, ‘The Pact’, which is an obsessive song set to a 1950’s style melody. “My heart is only on fire when you are the teacher”. Of special mention is ‘Pieces’ which starts a fragile, gentle ballad, and ends with a howl. Somehow this doesn’t feel out of place, instead you can empathise with the singer’s anguish.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and as a first effort has set a high benchmark for any following releases. However, if this is anything to go by, the next album will be equally great.
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