“Darling Arithmetic” Villagers
The Villagers are an indie folk quintet from Ireland. “Darling Arithmetic” is the band’s third studio album, released in April 2015. Lead singer-songwriter Conor O’Brien creates songs that explore various emotions ranging from intense love and desire to loneliness. In this album, O’Brien stripped the arrangements back to use only guitar, piano, Mellotron (which resulted in both ethereal soundscapes and the occasional horn and cello sounds), and brushes on drums. This is a very strong collection of music — any are good.
— Francis

Recommended: 1, 2, 9, 6, 8, 3. No FCCs detected.

1. (4:47) Courage — Quiet and simple. A little bounce. Great melody. ****
2. (3:30) Everything I Am Is Yours — Strummy guitar. Shakers. Piano. ****
3. (3:20) Dawning on Me — Mid-tempo. Gentle. Shakers again. Piano. **
4. (4:20) Hot Scary Summer — Slower. Starts with almost-spoken vocals. Then, some nice harmonies are added. Builds in emotion.
5. (4:10) The Soul Serene — Easy-going stroll to a clock-like beat. Starts very minimalist. Layers are added including Mellotron strings and brass.
6. (3:42) Darling Arithmetic — Fragile. Strummed guitar. Beautiful piano. ***
7. (3:49) Little Bigot — Mid-tempo. Very discordant. Piano and guitar. Almost gets a bit jazzy in places.
8. (3:35) No One to Blame — Stately piano ballad. Mellotron strings again. Wistful vocals with O’Brien reaching into his higher registers. **
9. (4:59) So Naive — Fingerpicked guitar. Mellotron soundscape. Astoundingly controlled vocals as O’Brien holds notes in various verses for an unbelievably long time. Such beautifully expressed emotion. ****