‘The Sunday Walker’ EP is a collection of tracks which Conor O’Brien describes as “the songs that fell down the cracks.” They may be four tracks that didn’t quite make the grade for Villagers’ Choice Music Prize nominated album, ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’, but they are anything but second-rate.

Far from it, they display all the characteristics you’ve come to expect from Ireland’s finest singer/songwriter and would grace any record. However, it is easy to see why they were omitted from said release as the songs hark back to the previous arpeggiated iteration of Villagers rather than the more experimental, electronic leaning soundscapes O’Brien has recently been producing.

The EP’s title track Sunday Walker is the undoubted highlight: a sonic blanket of retro orchestration no doubt inspired by the likes of Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen and Harry Nillsson. Its brisk, ephemeral pacing showcases O’Brien’s sumptuous vocal delivery and ear for melodic precision.

Far from a stopgap, ‘The Sunday Walker’ EP is a fine addition to the Villagers catalogue. If only the tracks that fell down the cracks were always this good.

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