Saturday, 11 June 2011

Okkervil River - I Am Very Far




I have to confess that I have a lot of love for Okkervil River, so any review I do has to be taken with a pinch of salt. However, about a month since I first heard I Am Very Far, I remain undecided about just how good it really is.



I can confirm it's not as good as Down the River of Golden Dreams, Black Sheep Boy and The Stage Names, but I reckon it's still a damn fine record with some stone-cold killer tunes on it. It's the first non-concept record from Will Sheff in about 8 years, but all the familiar Okkervil tropes remain unchanged. Sheff remains a romantic with a slightly depressive worldview, his lyrics also remain reassuringly oblique and literate, and the rousing folk-rock remains....although as producer Sheff has doubled the sound with two drummers, two piano players, just about two of everything.



Opener 'The Valley' is an energetic start, with Sheff singing once more about rock and roll (as he often does), before 'Piratess' goes a bit Steely Dan. And that, should you need reminding, is a good thing.



'We Need A Myth' is a gorgeous waltz of a song, before 'Hanging From A Hit' delivers what might be Okkervil River's (or Sheff's) most nakedly personal song in a long time, if not ever. It's a tale of reluctant adultery brought to life by Sheff's impassioned retelling, and restrained brass, and it's an emotional punch to the gut - unexpected in the context of the record as a whole, and all the more powerful as a result.



'Show Yourself' is another highlight, slowly building until a chorus of voices sing the title together, taking the melody and lifting it off into the ether. 'Wake and Be Fine' is a rousing single, singalong and triumphant, and closer 'The Rise' is an emotional swell of a song, rising and falling before fading away beautifully.



I Am Very Far isn't perfect; there's a three song lull as you approach the halfway point, but even a very good Okkervil River record is better than the majority of releases you're likely to hear this year. Not quite up there with their finest moments, but a fine old listen nonetheless.




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