Nothing Is Precious Enough for Us

Death Vessel is not a death metal band but the acoustic-based musings of Providence, RI-based singer-songwriter Joel Thibodeau. Inaccurately and indiscriminately dumped into the “freak folk” category, Thibodeau sings with a lightness of being and with playful arrangements that obscure the depth of his songwriting. His singing is feminine in tone, high-pitched and gentle. 2008’s Nothing Is Precious Enough for Us, his second album, shows him growing his ambitions. By album’s end, he’s left the fields for the pop music awaiting him in the recording studio. “Bruno’s Torso” flows with a simplicity that expands to include a horn section and threatens a carnival. With its twangy harmonies, banjo-picking and quickstep groove, “Obadiah in Oblivion” sounds like a back-porch folk tune gone awry. “Exploded View” adds a solid backbeat to its darker tone and perfect harmonic sense. “Fences Around Field” breaks into a spirited jam, but it’s the slow, brooding “Penisula” with its spare, nocturnal electric guitar licks and exploding climax that creates a truly bracing listen. It’s folk music for a new century.