Today, Villagers share “You Lucky One,” the second single from their upcoming sixth album. That golden time – expiration on May 10. The exquisite new album deploys the signature melodic style of award-winning Dublin singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and playwright Conor O'Brien, his gift for simultaneously vivid and subtle arrangements and lyrics that express his hopes, fears and dreams in richly absorbing poetry.
“You Lucky One” follows the release of title track “That Golden Time” and features Irish legend Dónal Lunny. [Planxty, The Bothy Band] in bouzouki. The song relates to the secondary image on the album cover, an Irish twenty pence coin. “Physical currency types change over time, but essential power relations and barter principles persevere across cosmetic changes.” explains O'Brien. The warning documents two protagonists, one who promises riches to the other but who is revealed to be more of a parasite. “Who is using who?” O'Brien asks. “I think it explores the often oversimplified notion of privilege.”
With O'Brien making his debut as a music video director, the video is a menacing direct-to-camera shot that shows the twisted narrative and people's hidden faces. O'Brien says: “The video, like the song, is a complicated and messy affair, full of hellish landscapes and inner demons. It exists in a world conquered by irrational beings and emotional and selfish creatures. Corruption of the soul and false motivations are the order of the day, so I thought it would be best to serve them with a side of the macabre and sinister.
Watch the video for “You Lucky One” BELOW:
After his predecessor's band-centric sessions, fever dreams, That golden age The lockdown did not impose a soloist-centered core on O'Brien. “For me, That Golden Time has an internalized voice, to the point where it was almost impossible for me to let anyone else in.” he says. “It's probably the most vulnerable album I've ever made. I played and recorded everything in my apartment and finally, towards the end, I invited people in.” In addition to Dónal Lunny, the album features American composer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick on violin, David Tapley of Dublin band Tandem Felix on pedal steel guitar, and a group of musicians O'Brien had first seen perform at a tribute to one of his great loves, the Italian composer Ennio Morricone, to whom he added a soprano, viola and cello voice.
Gorgeous melodies and sublime instrumentation effortlessly convey the understated poetry within. That golden time. Drawing inspiration from philosophers, poets, playwrights and singer-songwriters who had seeped into O'Brien's consciousness, this time the names go to Friedrich Nietzsche (his Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future is cited in the pamphlet that accompanies the album). Dory Previn, Marcus Aurelius, Fintan O'Toole, Lorraine Hansberry, Chet Baker, Joan Didion, PJ Harvey and post-classical beauties Rachel's.
Ahead of the full band's tour in the summer (including London's Royal Festival Hall), Villagers have announced a series of single-store shows.
Visit to the store
Friday 10 May – Tower Records, Dublin
Saturday 11 May – Rough Trade East, London – sold out
Sunday 12 May – Rough Trade, Bristol – sold out
Monday 13 May – Resident, Brighton
Tuesday, May 14 – Banquet Records, Kingston (early and late performances) – sold out
Wednesday 15 May – Action Records, Preston
Thursday 16 May – Rough Trade, Liverpool
Friday 17th May – Cool Discs, Derry
Saturday, May 18 – Bending Sound, Bangor
Upcoming live dates
May 25 – Tomavistas Festival, Madrid
Monday, May 27 – Ancienne Belgique, Belgium
Tuesday, May 28 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
Wednesday, May 29 – LantarenVenster, Rotterdam – sold out
Thursday, May 30 – Pop Seasons – Christianskirche, Hamburg
Saturday June 1 – Passionskirche, Berlin
Sunday June 2 – Luxor, Cologne
Monday, June 3 – La Maroquinerie, Paris
Wednesday 5 June – Wylam Brewery, Newcastle
Thursday 6 June – Irish Centre, Leeds
Saturday June 8 – Royal Festival Hall, London
Saturday 29 June – Trinity College, Dublin
July 7 – Down the Rabbit Hole Festival, Netherlands
Friday 26 July – Ludlow Castle, Shropshire with Elbow
Friday, August 2 – Dranouter Festival, Belgium
thanks to our partners at www.xsnoize.com
