So, it seems that most maligned of genre’s-’folktronica’-has crossed the pond. Brooklyn based Death Vessel is the performing name of one Joel Thibodeau. The opening two tracks of ‘Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us’, Death Vessels sophmore record and label debut for Sub Pop burble and twinkle away with the same laid back feeling as UK stalwarts Tunng. There is also more than a little of Sigur Ros’ Jonsi in Thibodeau’s falsetto stylings here.Album openers ‘Block My Eye’ and ‘Jitterkadie’ begin proceedings with pretty fingerpicking and delicate harmonies, adding light electronics to the fairly straight up neo-folk stylings. ‘The Widening’ moves things into darker territory, with it’s muted clarinet and old-timey bar room strut, before returning to the twinkling electronics and marching drums of of ‘Bruno’s Torso’, once again returning to the Tunng-gone-twee feeling. ‘Obadiah In Oblivion’ bounces along pleasantly enough on it’s pretty melody and picked guitar and banjo lines, but feels a little slight on repeated plays. On the albums closing track, ‘Taken Up Again’ Thibodeau provides an instrumental winding down, all strummed guitars and gentle keys revisiting motifs from what has gone before, like a lullaby before the close of the record.While far from being a bad record, ‘Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us’ can at times appear bland, and, at times can be a little too laid back for it’s own good. Thibodeau's cryptic lyrics don’t bear too much inspection, and his effeminate croon can prove equally irritating as they are soothing. There is not enough variety here to get truly passionate about, and little to suggest that future records may up the stakes. This is a warm and pleasant record, but ultimately it feels unsubstantial, and never quite lives up to the promise of the early tracks.62%Death Vessel on myspace