There’s not a great deal happening in Courage, the new single from Villagers. The song itself is simple, the video unfussy. But it is, of course, a thing of great beauty - no surprises there, since Conor O’Brien has amply demonstrated a knack for that on Villagers’ first two albums, Becoming a Jackal and {Awayland}. Today welcomed the glorious news that these two are two be followed by Villagers’ third album Darling Arithmetic, on April 13th. The band’s label, Domino, said of the album:

Darling Arithmetic was written, recorded, produced and mixed by O’Brien at home - the loft of a converted farmhouse that he shares in the coastal town of Malahide to the north of Dublin - revealing a single-minded artist at the peak of his already considerable songwriting powers. It encompasses the various shades of feeling – desire, obsession, lust, loneliness and confusion, and deeper into philosophical and existential territory, across a cast of lovers, friends, family and even strangers. Backing up his supple and emoting vocal and guitar is the subtlest palate of instrumentation – piano, Mellotron (which accounts for the album’s occasional horn and cello tones) and brushes. O’Brien plays every instrument on these exquisite, melodic songs in a sparse, spacious, acoustic-leaning fashion.

Pre-order info

Pre-order Darling Arithmetic and get an immediate download of Courage.

http://po.st/DarlingArithmetic

http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/albums/27-01-15/darling-arithmetic

http://darlingarithmetic.com

Courage - it’s a feeling like no other, let me tell you.

Courage - in harmony with something other than your ego.

Courage - the sweet belief from knowing nothing comes for free.