Promising talent on offer
This track is the third single from Villager's Mercury Music Prize nominated debut album "Becoming a Jackal". As soon as this track opens you gain a real sense of depth and confidence in the vocals of Connor O'Brien that belies this Dubliners age. However, it is a heavy song, both in the lyrics and the harmonies and even when the hook goes up a notch during the chorus you are still left yearning for some light amongst the dark that pervades this track quite deeply.
There is promise and real talent in evidence in this song and the folk style harmonies do have a touch of Elliott Smith about them. Upon multiple listens you can feel the earnestness and confidence but it does leave you feeling heavy inside. The melancholy needs to be balanced out with a lighter, more hopeful touch which is something that as O'Brien grows as a musician that he will come to be able to do. For a starting point though there is a lot of promise on show here and things will only get better.