Villagers - The Art Of Pretending To Swim

Beloved in their native Ireland, its perhaps curious that Villagers have never exploded in quite the way many predicted upon the release of 2010 debut ‘Becoming A Jackal’ – but their commitment to delivering rich, well-crafted studio albums continues to set them apart.

‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’, is instrumentally dense and brilliantly realised. Opener ‘Again’ delivers a palpable sense of intrigue and sets up a record full of musical treats - from the luscious ‘Sweet Saviour’ to the psychedelic ‘Real Go-Getter’. Themes of love, loss and disillusionment are explored throughout by lyrics that give a remarkably eclectic album a sense of consistency.

It remains to be seen whether ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ will gain Villagers hoards of new followers, but fans of the Irish five-piece will put their fourth record right up there with their best.