When I first saw Providence based guitarist Joel Thibodeau aka Death Vessel open up for the Bowerbirds at Bowery Ballroom a little more than 3 years ago one of the main things that stood out/stayed with me was the man’s pervasive sense of quiet that seemed not only at odds with high capacity venue but also the city itself. Thibodeau’s music and his skyward-reaching vocals seem very much the type of thing for summer bonfires and outdoor gatherings in the country not crowded city bars. And yet, though soft enough to get swallowed up by any sort of contrary sound, Death Vessel’s music is that of endearing beauty.
“Ilsa Drown”, the first single from his upcoming full length Island Intervals, isn’t wholly out of character for the man. Beginning with a gentle strum of Thibodeau, there’s the quiet rumbling of something different. It’s not the boom-chick-infused Americana sound of past albums but a much more agile moving beast. The true surprise happens is when a rather familiar voice peeks in to say hello – that of Sigur Rós’ Jónsi beginning a veritable battle of crystal clear, silky smooth high-pitched vocals. Jónsi and Thibodeau trade glassy, svelte lines amid a blanketed textural palette at time perfectly in sync and more beautifully in others – completely dynamics though entirely complimentary. Jónsi’s vocals are downright avian as they soar, dip, and dive while Thibodeau’s are strangely earth-bound. Together they cover a wide-berth that imbues the track with an otherworldly beauty – blissfully emotive and effortlessly enthralling.
Death Vessel’s third full length album Island Intervals is out February 25th on Sub Pop Records.
