Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

As I have discussed here before, I've always liked Okkervil River based on the constant literary expression... Will is very wordy. It's a rare band under the folk-rock banner that pass through my headphones. So I have expectations on this record.

The album starts out with "The Valley", an epic tale that feels like it could have been inspired by the Decemberists' "Hazards Of Love". Others like this include "White Shadow Waltz" where Will seems to be be trading his lyricism of painting celebratory anthems (almost) to a darker story-telling imagery. The wordplay, while impressive, finds the listener (re: me) with less to relate to.

There are also some experimental jaunts musically, where the band expands beyond the singer-songwriter form. This includes "Piretess" as a foray into Roxy Music soul - and "Show Yourself"; which I assume they were going for Radiohead, but happens to sound more like Dave Matthews. The single, "Wake And Be Fine" strays farther into the Arcade Fire- big number band member thing. Farther than I am comfortable with. Hopefully, it will garner them a hit, but that sound is not generaly their forte - even if Will's lyrics are more bookish than ever.

"Rider" is a return to form and hooks me with the line:

I fly out on my silver, scissoring wings
With the other sardines
Over cities of things mommies need
Light as gas, and half-assedly free
Like I was in nineteen ninety three

And before I can finish writing the sentence that it's going to be hard to top "We Need A Myth" for "Best Song of 2011" award, we get to "Hanging From A Hit". With its Beach Boys meets Phil Spector perfection of orchestral build-and-recede, Sheff produces a heartbreaking account of lovers with a wall between them.

A day she spends the night
And I can hear her sighing
As she's almost asleep on one side
I lie back on my pillow
And ask what her husband is like

(3.5 of 5 stars)