Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

Where Have You Been All My Life?

Villagers

Where Have You Been All My Life?

Stripped-back reworkings of songs from previous albums from the Dulbin indie-folk act, each recorded live in one or two takes

ADM rating[?]

6.8

Label
Domino
UK Release date
08/01/2016
US Release date
08/01/2016
Listen on Spotify
Related Links
Last.fm Myspace Wikipedia
Share
Share |

  1. 9.0 |   Gig Soup

    Villagers have helped put their music in a new light and made it far more winning than before
    Read Review

  2. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    Mostly highlights just how good a songwriter O’Brien really is, regardless of his style, tempo or methods
    Read Review

  3. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    Here we can feel the intense and heartfelt atmosphere of Villagers’ music, free from electronic stopgaps and excessive baroque scores
    Read Review

  4. 8.0 |   God Is In The TV

    It’s easy to see why Villagers get the recognition they so rightly deserve
    Read Review

  5. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Breathes fresh life into its poetically abstracted predecessors. Print edition only

  6. 8.0 |   The Music

    The band is note perfect and O'Brien's voice undeniably affecting
    Read Review

  7. 8.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    The songs themselves are by no means live recreations of the original album versions but reinterpretations of songs old and new
    Read Review

  8. 7.5 |   Pitchfork

    Villagers have restructured the older songs to fit the sound of the newer material, unifying them in their delicate harmonies, brushed drums, and double bass arrangements
    Read Review

  9. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    Villagers’ latest LP does succeed in producing some very worthy reinterpretations and weaving them seamlessly together, which is often easier said than done
    Read Review

  10. 7.0 |   The Digital Fix

    In many ways this is a pointless collection but isn’t it worth listening again to hear the wonder of that voice and the personal qualities of those lyrics?
    Read Review

  11. 7.0 |   Uncut

    Emotionally resonant songs suit the warmth and intimacy of a live setting. Print edition only

  12. 6.0 |   Q

    There’s nothing new here, but it’s very likeable. Print edition only

  13. 6.0 |   The FT

    Its songs, fleshed out by his touring band and re-recorded in one or two takes, take on new life, a better framework for O’Brien’s emotive voice
    Read Review

  14. 6.0 |   State

    A pleasant enough snapshot of where he was at on one day in 2015, it may not be as essential as what’s come before
    Read Review

  15. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    As with Bright Eyes, Damien Rice and other artists to whom Villagers are often compared, O’Brien shows signs of a visceral intensity
    Read Review

  16. 6.0 |   NOW

    An excellent intro to Villagers, a summary of five years in one album.
    Read Review

  17. 6.0 |   Clash

    Die-hard fans who have followed O’Brien’s’ story from the very beginning, are sure to revel in the subtle changes and twists on Villagers best work to date
    Read Review

  18. 6.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    While the record will prove to be an enjoyable distraction for ardent fans, it’s hard to shake the feeling that these revamps might have been better saved for the live setting
    Read Review

  19. 5.0 |   Under The Radar

    A live album with no atmosphere, too polished to convey any energy, too technical to invite empathy and too isolated to evoke intimacy
    Read Review

  20. 4.0 |   The Observer

    Neat arrangements and accomplished musicianship, but with wit and character seemingly in short supply
    Read Review

  21. Back to main chart

blog comments powered by Disqus
buy it at amazon download it from itunes

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Preview & download it

Villagers: Where Have You Been All My Life?

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Set the Tigers Free £0.89
  • 2. Everything I Am is Yours £0.89
  • 3. My Lighthouse £0.89
  • 4. Courage £0.89
  • 5. That Day £0.89
  • 6. The Soul Serene £0.89
  • 7. Memoir £0.89
  • 8. Hot Scary Summer £0.89
  • 9. The Waves £0.89
  • 10. Darling Arithmetic £0.89
  • 11. So Naïve £0.89
  • 12. Wichita Lineman £0.89
  • Service provided by 7Digital

Latest Reviews

Kylie Minogue  Tension II

Tension II surpasses its predecessor, making the thematic connection between the two albums almost seem unnecessary. This collection of new songs stands alone, offering a tighter, bolder, and more emotionally complex experience Albumism

Kylie Minogue  Tension II

It is not wholly without flaws as stated above but still manages to solidify that Kylie will always be someone we just can’t get out of our heads Beats Per Minute

Mount Eerie  Night Palace

While much of it is in Elverum’s favoured strolling alt-rock gait with layers of distortion, the canvas is wide enough to encompass stripped-back acoustic songs and full-bore black metal passages Beats Per Minute

More reviews

All-time top 10

Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.

  1. 9.3

    Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly

  2. 9.2

    Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters

  3. 9.1

    Kendrick Lamar Damn.

  4. 9.1

    D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah

  5. 9.0

    Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen

  6. 9.0

    Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure

  7. 8.9

    Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways

  8. 8.9

    Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree

  9. 8.9

    Frank Ocean Channel Orange

  10. 8.9

    Dave We’re All Alone In This Together

See full list