Okkervil River's latest album, The Stage Names, opens with “Call me Ishmael” brilliance. The first track, “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe,” is spot-on groovy as Will Sheff's vocals soar over music that is both calming and raucously uplifting. It is—without a doubt—an empirically good pop song. And by pop, I don't mean it sounds like Justin Timberlake; I mean it's catchy, fun and what should be playing on Top 4o Radio.
The second track, “Unless It's Kicks,” keeps the album bounding forward with pounding drums and a guitar solo reminiscent of the The Freddy Jones Band (insert drunken college flashback here). After the flashback fades, “A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene” takes over with smile-inducing, throwback hand-claps and doot doot doot do dos—gotta dig it.
At track four, “Savannah Smiles,” the swiftly flowing river hits a dam. I've tried and tried and tried to give this ballad a chance, but I've yet to enjoy it. But that's okay—one bad track out of nine ain't bad, so I'll just move on...
“Plus Ones” is full of math and references to other songs, including “7 Chinese Brothers” by R.E.M.—can't go wrong there. And “Girl in Port” doesn't go wrong either, with pedal steel, horns and beautiful lyrics, it's the ballad on the album I can listen to over and over again.
Every time “You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man” kicks off, I think I'm listening to “Ship of Fools” by The Doors. Then the track gets going and thoughts of Jim Morrison fade, only to be replaced by thoughts of The Flaming Lips and Sufjan Stevens. This track is a patchwork quilt of sound that fits together just right—it even covers your toes, which protects against the sweaty-toothed madman.
With funambulistic balance, Okkervil River closes the album as strongly as they open it. “John Allyn Smith Sails” begins as a tear-jerking, self-referential track and then morphs into “Sloop John B” by The Beach Boys. In short, I love this song. Even though it's a really sad song about suicide, it's truly awesome. As is the album. So go buy it, put on your headphones (nice, expensive ones—not crappy iPod earbuds), have a glass of good red wine, turn the volume up and smile.
Download:
Okkervil River | Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe [MP3]
The second track, “Unless It's Kicks,” keeps the album bounding forward with pounding drums and a guitar solo reminiscent of the The Freddy Jones Band (insert drunken college flashback here). After the flashback fades, “A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene” takes over with smile-inducing, throwback hand-claps and doot doot doot do dos—gotta dig it.
At track four, “Savannah Smiles,” the swiftly flowing river hits a dam. I've tried and tried and tried to give this ballad a chance, but I've yet to enjoy it. But that's okay—one bad track out of nine ain't bad, so I'll just move on...
“Plus Ones” is full of math and references to other songs, including “7 Chinese Brothers” by R.E.M.—can't go wrong there. And “Girl in Port” doesn't go wrong either, with pedal steel, horns and beautiful lyrics, it's the ballad on the album I can listen to over and over again.
Every time “You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man” kicks off, I think I'm listening to “Ship of Fools” by The Doors. Then the track gets going and thoughts of Jim Morrison fade, only to be replaced by thoughts of The Flaming Lips and Sufjan Stevens. This track is a patchwork quilt of sound that fits together just right—it even covers your toes, which protects against the sweaty-toothed madman.
With funambulistic balance, Okkervil River closes the album as strongly as they open it. “John Allyn Smith Sails” begins as a tear-jerking, self-referential track and then morphs into “Sloop John B” by The Beach Boys. In short, I love this song. Even though it's a really sad song about suicide, it's truly awesome. As is the album. So go buy it, put on your headphones (nice, expensive ones—not crappy iPod earbuds), have a glass of good red wine, turn the volume up and smile.
Download:
Okkervil River | Our Life is not a Movie or Maybe [MP3]
