Island Intervals is Joel Thibodeau’s first album in six years as neo-folk one-man-band Death Vessel. His 2005 and 2008 full length EPs Stay Close and Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us introduced the sweet melodies and angelic soprano vocals of Thibodeau to the indie folk scene. For Island Intervals, he teamed up with artists Jónsi of Sigur Rós and producer Alex Somers, traveled to Reykjavik and created a whole new sound inspired by the rugged landscape and isolated beauty of the Icelandic city.
The very first seconds of Island Intervals prove that Thibodeau is changing Death Vessel’s entire sound. Opening track “Ejecta” begins with an eerie, almost horror movie score-like beat introducing Thibodeau’s naturally beautiful voice with a twist on what Death Vessel fans are used to. Instead of the calming, hopeful lyrics of the past two albums, Island Intervals showcases an angsty and jaded side of Thibodeau that perfectly matches the slow, powerful instrumentals throughout the album.
The first sign of optimism on the album comes on the fourth track “Mercury Dime.” The speed picks up a bit and Thibodeau finally brings back his typical falsetto and playful rhythm section. The next track “Ilsa Drown (feat. Jónsi)” is the first to focus on the gorgeous guitar acoustics that were the backbone of the peaceful Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us. They are reintroduced on only one more track near the end, “We Agreed.”
The remaining tracks are interesting in a dramatic and whimsical way, but do stray from the folk roots that previously gave Thibodeau his success. The album ends somewhat abruptly at 33 minutes, which perhaps contributes to the difficulty in grasping the whole of the album. It was a good attempt at a six year-long hiatus return, but Death Vessel and friends fell somewhat short on the overall quality of the album.
Rating: C+
