#nothingarrived

villagers - “nothing arrived” (”awayland”, 2013)

Nothing Arrived by Villagers

I've been a huge fan of Conor O'Brien and the Villagers ever since the release of Becoming a Jackal in 2010. When I heard he had a new album coming out in January this year (this post is a lot later than it should be) I was ridiculously excited.

I wouldn't say that this music is happy or anything too fun but it's music that makes me happy and it's music that you can feel. Conor takes you on a trip, one that makes me think and wonder. Some songs, like Nothing Arrived for example, leave a heavy feeling on my chest. They can unsettle you, but in a good way. In a way that leaves you more aware of the way things are, aren't or are/aren't meant to be. It's heavy stuff to be honest, and when I listen to him sing, I need to be in the right mind set or I know I'm not being respectful.

While it might seem like I have nothing but praise of Conor, I must admit that it is easy to get lost in the music, not in a good way though. He seems to have many different things to say and sometimes he seems to be confused. We hear many ideas but never really understand how he arrived at them. But this is why I'm excited for Conor to keep making more music. The band feels like a kid still trying to grow into his own skin, there is still room to evolve and fully develop all their potential. I know when they are done, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.