''Obligatory Villagers'' is the third
studio album by American singer-songwriter
Nellie McKay
Nell Marie McKay (born April 13, 1982) is a singer and songwriter. She made her Broadway debut in ''The Threepenny Opera'' (2006).
Early life and education
McKay was born in London to an English father, writer-director Malcolm McKay, and an ...
. It was released on September 25, 2007.
Bob Dorough appears as a guest vocalist on several tracks. Many of the musicians on the album reside in the
Pocono Mountains
The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos , are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, ...
, particularly the
Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap is a water gap on the border of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.
The gap makes up the southern portion of the Delaware Water Gap ...
area. Nancy Reed, a voice teacher in Stroudsburg, sings with her on "Politan." Nellie McKay was Nancy Reed's first student.
Track listing
#"Mother of Pearl"
#"Oversure"
#"Gin Rummy"
#"Livin'"
#"Identity Theft"
#"Galleon"
#"Politan"
#"Testify"
#"Zombie"
#"Doko Demo Doa" (Bonus Track in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
)
Critical reception
Critical response to the album was generally positive. ''Pitchfork Media'' and AllMusic both commented that the album was "difficult to understand," though they also agreed that McKay is a talented songwriter and arranger.
Robert Christgau gave the album 3.5/5 stars.
Charts
References
2007 albums
Nellie McKay albums
Vanguard Records albums
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