Will Sheff knows something about shitty days. After years of putting out great folk-rock records under the name Okkervil River (lifted from an old Russian short story by Tatyana Tolstaya), he's gained a fairly small, but passionate, following. After being signed to Jagjaguwar and releasing a few critically successful albums in "The Stage Names" and "Black Sheep Boy" in the early 2000s, he fell out of public eye for a bit.
Sheff and Co.'s latest release, "Away", finds the group returning to a smoother, folk-ier sound. While dabbling in rock ideas, the album is notably softer. Songs are meandering, cushioned by reverb and floating along on softly plucked guitar lines. Synth organs are quiet and comforting. What makes the album remarkable is what makes most Okkervil River releases remarkable: Sheff's unabashedly wordy and literary approach to songwriting and lyricism coupled with his distinctive singing voice.
The first track is one of the best songs of the year and a perfect start to the album: "Okkervil River RIP" is gently affecting, beautifully written and played delicately. As layers and layers build on the song, Sheff never lets go of the reins fully: as acoustic turns to electric and drums cradle the entire orchestra, there is still a feeling of control. In his delivery, Sheff speaks on fame, death, music, and the public eye with a removed grace. As someone never fully recognized by the public, Sheff's musings on the demise of loved musicians is all the more heartbreaking.
To be honest, there's something to like in every song here. While some lose focus in their overwhelming atmosphere, they still have memorable lines and catchy hooks ("Comes Indiana Through the Smoke" being the biggest example). Even the longer songs are entertaining, with "Judey on a Street" featuring incessant, tapping percussion and an impassioned performance from Sheff. "Mary on a Wave" is a fantastic love song, featuring honest-to-god "sha-la-la"s. The chorus is ethereal and beautiful, while the verses are driven by twin guitar lines that compliment each other beautifully.
Sheff delivers the one-two punch with the ending, however. "Frontman in Heaven" is one part hilarious and one part depressing: Sheff's character here is overwhelmingly nervous, focusing way too hard on everything and examining everything as a message from the "Sky Man". His quest for meaning is subtly highlighted with absolutely ridiculous lines: "It's going to be funky fresh Christmas and I don't think I can handle it" being my favorite. But then again, there are amazing lyrics like "I watch the dying sun sink on those jerk-offs in their convertibles". To close out the record, Sheff seemingly goes off the rails. When I saw them live, he prefaced this song by stating every day he would write himself an email with a line that didn't make much sense and then put them all together into this song. I have no idea if that is true. "Days Spent Floating" is gorgeous and experimental, driven by gently plucked guitar lines and a wishy-washy synth line floating in and out. As percussion digs in and grounds the track in something like reality, Sheff lets the track run out. This speaks to his skill as a songwriter: he knows exactly when to stop. Let's just hope that's not too soon.
I hope this record finds you well. Links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BpA_MqGBtk ("Okkervil River RIP " video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDQpN2Pa5M ("Mary on a Wave")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kBWufLX0vU ("For Real")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGxIwOriQAM (Live on KEXP)
http://tinyurl.com/h5byxru (MEGA)
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