Death Vessel–Nothing is Precious Enough for Us
Back when I was a Providence boy, I went to see quite a few Stringbuilder/Purple Ivy Shadows shows, and even bought a few albums. So, you’d think I would be a little quicker recognizing the elements of these bands in Death Vessel. Instead, I went the first listen and a half thinking the vocals were sung by a woman and was mystified to discover that woman’s name was Joel Thibodeau. The confusion now all cleared up, and I have my bearings.
The girlish sounding Thibodeau is the singer/songwriting force behind the misleadingly named Death Vessel. They hail from Rhode Island and present a very pleasant, light brand of Americana that prizes melodies over hootenannys. The songs often involve shy, semi-poetic vocals sung over picked guitars with a relatively sedate rhythm section. It’s pretty, but for me it doesn’t stick. I do find choruses repeating in my head after the tracks close, and I admire Thibodeau’s sense of melody, but I’m neither really challenged nor seduced by anything on this album. It just doesn’t hold my attention. It’s a shame, cause there’s a lot here to like. Just check out the utterly charming opening track below and you’ll see what I mean.