The new track released by former model Carmen Villain is the first I’ve heard from her, and I was simply floored. Her haunting voice resonates through you, and the melody of “Lifeissin” draws you in at once. Taken as a whole, the song reminds me of Velvet Underground’s Nico merged with a female-fronted early incarnation of Modest Mouse (think about the rough but catchy melody of “Out of Gas”) and an added layer of shimmering atmospherics. That praise may be admittedly overzealous, and though Villain may not yet have reached those heights, with “Lifeissin” she proves that greatness is within her.
Villain’s full length Sleeper is due out on March 12th from Smalltown Supersound. According to an email from Villain’s publicist “most of the songs are about escaping an unsatisfying world, with references to sleeping, not being present, displacement, anxiety, feeling trapped, but longing for something more.” Understandable given Villain’s former career as a model for Nylon and Vogue. Villain has our attention, and we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Sleeper tracklisting:
01. Two Towns
02. Easy
03. Lifeissin
04. Obedience
05. Made A Shell
06. How Much
07. Light, See
08. Dreamo
09. It May Well Die
10. Kingwoman
11. Slowaway
12. Demon Lover
