Androgynous Folk

From Berlin to Boston to Brooklyn, musician Joel Thibodeau has never allowed location determine his sound. Finding musical allies along his many moves and experimenting with his sound along the way, Thibodeau created Death Vessel in 2005. Their debut album Stay Close received critical acclaim and with their latest release Nothing is Precious Enough for Us, Thibodeau and company bring Death Vessel to a new level by continuing the style of neo-traditional folk movement that came into prominence with Sufjan Steven’s debut. Intricate lyrics, a quirky acoustic guitar, and a classical way of composing songs have made this new genre very popular and Death Vessel does a grand job of abiding this sound without carbon coping Steven’s success.

Thibodeau’s unique voice (yes, he’s a he) is the most engaging part of Nothing is Precious Enough for Us. With a timber higher than most audiences would expect from a male vocalist, the difference only strengthens the band instead of encouraging criticism. ‘The Widening’ duels a beautiful and masculine vox, soaring over a mournful trumpet and a sharp bass line. It’s not the faux-girly voice that most pop-rock bands have popularized, and instead combines the lightness of the opposite sex with the virility of the male voice and extends into the songwriting as well. The subject matter is playful, even when the song may not be. ‘Exploded View’ has a child-like cryptic wording layered over a ripened sound, constructing an intricate play between his charming voice and the heavier tone of the song. Think Iron and Wine meets Feist in a campground sing-a-long - and you are more than halfway there already.

Though the album may drag in certain places, Death Vessel fails to bore throughout. Nothing is Precious Enough for Us is put together so well that it’s virtually impossible to be entirely bored with its production; Thibodeau has something to hold interest at all times. It may only be a stepping stone from their first album, and hopefully Death Vessel will continue their progression, but for now, it’s just precious enough for us.

Amy Dittmeier