Death Vessel: Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us (2008)

New Wax


What's with all these Americana and folk artists with names that sound more fitting for death metal bands? I think I'm going to start a bluegrass band named Bludgeoned Carcass. Death Vessel is actually the moniker for singer/songwriter Joel Thibodeau, who has long enough hair to be in a death metal band but actually creates a unique brand of psych-folk. Death Vessel's 2005 album Stay Close garnered some serious acclaim and landed him on Sub Pop records way back in 2006. Finally, after being expected to drop last year, Death Vessel's Sub Pop debut Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us is ready for consumption. Some of the album's quieter moments may remind you of older Iron & Wine, who Death Vessel has toured with, but those comparisons go out the window as soon as Thibodeau opens his mouth. While not quite as androgynous as the likes of Antony, Thibodeau's got an unusually high falsetto that only adds to the album's mystery. Aside from Thibodeau's unique voice, the arrangements on Nothing Is Precious are intimate yet intricate (there are more than 30 instruments played on the album) while his lyrics are rich with abstract imagery. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of freak-folk fare such as Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsome. The album will be available on August 19th. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: Death Vessel - Bruno's Torso

Tags: Death Vessel, Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us, Review