BERLIN (DPA) – Connor O’Brien, the mastermind of the Irish band Project Villagers, has repeatedly proven that the indie pop corset is too thick for him.

The 37-year-old integrated and delicate lyricist says folk, electronic crackling sounds always remain very sweet to songs like Radiohead or Soul. From scary stories to political issues, he incorporated a lot into his lessons until his own sensibilities came out.

Weak singing

The new Villagers album “Fever Dreams” is again a little different from its predecessor “The Art of Reading to Swim” (2018). Already the opener “Something Big” O’Brien dares to escape the beautiful sound, the drone guitar, the weak sound, and the slightly curved brass. After that, on “The First Day”, the avant-garde nags seem to run away with him again before the song explodes into a glittering chorus.

The following parts move through the interface between desire and fascination for experimentation – through which the hypnotic “Song in Seven” and the symphonic jazz of “So Sympatico” and the best of the ten Irishmen dedicated a year-old career. It is no coincidence that O’Brien has won numerous awards for his lyrical skills. The conclusion of “Deep in My Heart” is another example of this great quality.

Pleasant dream

The sixth country album is by no means inferior to the likes of “Becoming a Jackal” (2010) or “Aveland” (2013). Like his US colleague Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes), O’Brien is often compared not only to his childhood appearance and name, but also to the fact that this very attractive musician is constantly evolving in concert. Anyway, the Irish singer-songwriter achieved his goal of creating an “delightful and joyful dream” of an album in his home studio in Dublin during the epidemic days.