Villagers - The Art Of Pretending To Swim

Villagers - The Art Of Pretending To Swim 

Indie folk rock act Villagers return with The Art Of Pretending To Swim. The brainchild of musician Connor O’Brien, Villagers have long been the darlings of both critics and fans thanks to O’Brien’s knack for melding intensely poetic lyrics with complex (and occasionally frightening) symphonies. While O’Brien’s latest endeavours have had sparse, intimate vibes, The Art… sees a return to the roots of Villagers, with layered nuanced tracks that maintain the dark edge that fans have come to expect. Combing the traditionally opposite themes of technology and spirituality, O’Brien ruminates on electronics, faith, love and how the modern world has vastly changed these things. Did you expect something less intricate?

With the passing of time, a confidence has developed in the music of O’Brien, an assurance that has impacted his sound in a way not seen in earlier records. This maturity permeates the listener throughout, resulting in a more filled out landscape than the profound tundra of 2015’s Darling Arithmetic. More experimentalism has been used, with smooth R’n’B grooves and dense electronic beats accompanying the terrifyingly innocent folkish strumming that has formed the backbone of O'Brien's mercury award-studded career. This confidence has also led to a broader discussion present in the themes of The Art… as perilous ties are drawn between the fervour of faith and the omnipresence of technology in our lives. The dialogue in The Art… in which spirituality and technology are so often interchanged, compared and likened to each other, is crucial to the soul of the album, as O’Brien seems to ponder whether faith in the spirit or the computer is so different in the modern day. 

This is most prominent in stand-out ballad Fool. A eulogy to pre-snapchat romance, this mid-record track sees the Villagers frontman pounding on the walls of an age determined to find love the easy way, behind an LED screen. The loneliest, and best, song on the album, it is a typical Villagers hit as it ends in failure. The ultimate villain of the song, progress, is king in this world, and yet O'Brien's sensitivities prevent him from surrender, a fact he laments in the line “I’m a fool, love, For the burden…”

Technology is a looming shadow over the album, but it is faith in particular, and the rediscovery of it, that also plays a huge part in the foundation of the record. For instance, in opener Again O’Brien credits a reexamination of his faith for the rediscovered space in his heart for his art, while lead single Trick Of The Light sees O’Brien at his best: quietly defiant (“I don’t need no validation from anyone at any cost…”) and content in his views (“No one’s gonna tell me it’s a trick of the light”) even without a defined path. This commitment is palpable, and no surprise to fans of Villagers previous releases, as it fills the remaining songs with a tangible sense of conviction, to the point even a non-believer such as myself find myself enraptured by O'Brien's belief. These grand topics lead to grand sounds, with the embrace of new musical frontiers such as electronic music creating an all-around enjoyable ethos and a workable compromise amidst the reflections on technological insecurity. 

The Art Of Pretending To Swim sees Villagers return in rare form following their cramped sabbatical. The hallmarks are all here, from the poetic lyrics, deeply emotive vocals and modern folk sound, while new integrations only raise the ceiling of the album. Full of soul and philosophy, Villagers offer no directions or destinations, only observations, which vary from urgent to critical to heartbreaking. The Art… is a personally informed investigation into a labyrinthine concept with no real answers, only workarounds and concessions. O’Brien can offer you nothing more than he found himself, but he can point you in the right direction.