After Conor O’Brien’s rendition of Nothing Compares 2 U, he says simply ‘that’s for Sinéad’ — no showmanship there
O’Brien has a late evening slot at the festival — a timeframe perfect for tracks at once fraught and mellow. File photograph: The Irish TimesThe death of Sinéad O’Connor has had a profound impact on Irish artists, and Villagers’ Conor O’Brien is one of several to pay tribute to her at All Together Now.
He does so at the mid-point of a sometimes languid and finally full-throated main stage set, with a respectful version of Nothing Compares 2 U. O’Brien does well in bringing a folky bite to the tune — without ever pretending that this is anything other than a moment to honour O’Connor’s searing version.
The evening begins brightly with an early appearance by Everything I Am Is Yours, one of the poppiest moments in the Dublin artist’s repertoire. Here and throughout the performance, O’Brien flies the faces of the received wisdom that charisma is the same as a big personality. He is magnetically introverted, drawing the eye even as he stays rooted to the spot, shaking his head in almost imperceptible sympathy with the music.
He’s an ambitious songwriter. First Day, from 2021′s Fever Dream, finds O’Brien and his band building complex pop in the hyperambitious tradition of Brian Wilson.
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