Okkervil River - Black Album: Black Sheep Boy [2005]
formed in 1998 in austin, okkervil river find the middle ground between indie rock and folk-rock, placing slightly more emphasis on the former. already renowned in texas, the group rose to national prominence with the release of 2005's "black sheep boy". the album's mix of warm strings, barroom piano, horns, and vibes effectively creates a spatial and moody balance to the electric guitar attacks and roomy drums. with these songs, clear desperation creeps through and gives the impression that the band could've fallen to pieces at any moment - but somehow held it all together - and the catalyst of the whole passage is will sheff's thick, spitting voice pleading with the cascading dissonance and majesty of the arrangements. there are tracks where the arrangements take the foreground, but equally effective are the forward, uptempo tracks that are less expansive, such as the super-hooky "the latest toughs," with its compressed falsetto singsong backing vocals, and the infectious "black." looking forward to their next album, "i am very far" which should drop in the next few months.
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