Record Review 13 Okkervil River: "The Stage Names"

Okkervil River
The Stage Names









Sooooo...what do you do about Will Sheff. He is leader, singer, songwriter of Okkervil River. Most of the guys in the band grew up in New Hampshire and started to play together and then split up for college before re-forming in Austin in 1998. Since that time they have come out with 5 full length albums:
• 1999 Stars Too Small to Use - Jound
• 2002 Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See - Jagjaguwar
• 2003 Down the River of Golden Dreams - Jagjaguwar
• 2005 Black Sheep Boy - Jagjaguwar
• 2007 The Stage Names - Jagjaguwar
They have a number of great E.P.s as well but their album output, is very high on over all quality. Okkervil and Sheff specialize in the atonal work that I love which is so indebted to Neil Young and a lot of their harder stuff leans strongly on Young’s tone and pacing. Sheff pens a lot of brilliant songs and as opposed to much post-Cobaine mopers ennunciates his lyrics beautifully and sometimes painfully. Sheff along with Colin Meloy and Conner Oberst are some of the most talented writers, singers, songwriters and entertainers of this current crop of talent. Each one of them has been christened a "new Dylan" at one time or another and while that is slightly (maybe tremendously) over blown it is not totally without merit.

This CD continues in the tradition although it is tighter and better produced. The CD has been very well review with Pitchfork Media concluding:

“Ultimately, The Stage Names shows how a vastly talented "mid-level band" (Sheff's words) sees itself, but there's no bitterness here, just overwhelming self-doubt and perseverance. Despite its density (they fit worlds into just nine songs), the album remains exciting and accessible, albeit highly sobering. It's about the folly of popular music and its attendant lifestyles, but these songs are so good and so moving that they only give us stupid, stubborn hope.”

That is high praise indeed. The CD merits it. It is just a really tight 9 song effort much in the same way albums used to be crafted with a nice narrative arc and a lot of feeling that rises...and falls. Will Sheff is always thrashing around in a troubled and manic way. He writes some great twisted stuff. The first song booms out....”Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe.” In the song he bemoans the lack of plot, casting and quality lighting. I think it is a metaphor. But the whole CD is good, even down to the 6th song...”A Girl In A Port” where Sheff explains:
“I am not a ladykilling sort,
enough to hurt a girl in a port.”

Reminded me of Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s singing:
“My name is Stuart Ransom Miller,
and I am serial lady killer.”

These poor guys. Anyway...the CD is full of dark hooks and nice rhythms. He broods as he wails but in a way that is rarely less then compelling. While this effort might not be quite as compelling as “Black Sheep Boy” (though it might be) it is a solid collection of songs with nice indie rock sensibility and...the occasional aching steel guitars. Lets call it 9 slingers on the 10 scale. A must buy for the year if you want to listen to stuff you will never hear anywhere else.