Darling Arithmetic is the third album from Villagers’ Conor O’ Brien. His 2010 debut Becoming A Jackal and wayland his 2013 release – both Mercury Prize-nominated, while the latter won Ireland’s Choice Prize – were detailed, multi-faceted affairs, so Darling Arithmetic is a brave and committed new step forward. O’Brien plays every instrument on these exquisite, melodic songs in a beautifully sparse, spacious, intimate, acoustic-leaning fashion, as well as recording and mixing it himself at home, revealing a single-minded artist at the peak of his already considerable songwriting powers.