Obligatory Villagers
# Obligatory Villagers

Obligatory Villagers is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Nellie McKay. 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, particularly 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)

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Robert Christgau | (A-) |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.9/10) |
| Rolling Stone | |

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

| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| - | - |
| Billboard Heatseekers | 30 |
