{Awayland}

Villagers - {Awayland}
Critic Score
Based on 23 reviews
2013 Ratings: #133 / 1115
User Score
Based on 53 ratings
2013 Rank: #322
Liked by 1 person
January 14, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
Domino / Label
Folk / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Drowned in Sound

Far from falling under the weight of either expectation or ambition, {awayland} is a far more magnificent progression from Jackal than any of us could have hoped for.

90
musicOMH

There are many treasures to be found here, with the songs positively fizzing with a gleeful ingenuity. 

85
The 405

It's a leap into the great unknown, and it rips up the singer-songwriter rulebook in favour of something far more ambitious, even when at its most straightforward.

70
The Needle Drop
On Villagers' latest album, the charismatic Conor J. Obrien leads the project into slightly more adventurous territory, incorporating electronics and ambitious arrangements in numerous tracks.
70
Consequence of Sound

{Awayland} assumes an endless pallet of instrumental exploration while still remaining easily digestible.

70
NME

Where there was tension and urgency, now there’s bigger, poppier and probably more commercially viable folk songs that don’t quite pack the same punch.

60
The Fly

O’Brien’s voice is beautiful and his songwriting often adventurous, but there are times when the aim isn’t as true as it could be. 

60
No Ripcord

When there’s opportunity to expand the experimental bubble further, they turn inwards and revert back to what is comfortable. 

55
Pitchfork

{Awayland} rarely comes across as false, but O’Brien's affinity for cleverness over clarity ensures it rarely comes across in any real way.

FinalLifeline
76

This one surprised me. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. While it isn't an incredibly exciting release, it is ambitious, melodious, and enticing. It does have a lot of lyrical trip-ups, it seems, as sometimes a strange lyric will tear you away from the soundscape itself. However, that aside, this is a playful folk album taking cues from both Bon Iver and tUnE-yArDs. If weird folk is your thing, give this thing a spin. It might surprise you too.

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Track List

  1. My Lighthouse
  2. Earthly Pleasure
  3. The Waves
  4. Judgement Call
  5. Nothing Arrived
  6. The Bell
  7. {Awayland}
  8. Passing a Message
  9. Grateful Song
  10. In a Newfound Land You Are Free
  11. Rhythm Composer

Year End Lists

#26/MOJO
#85/musicOMH
#95/Rough Trade
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Added on: January 8, 2013