Customer Reviews

The Stand Ins [Vinyl]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Stand Ins, Texas indie-rock outfit Okkervil River's fifth album, is the planned second half of a double album project that began with 4th record The Stage Names, but it more than stands on its own. Continuing the theme of musicians on tour, The Stand Ins is lyrically bleak and depressing, despite the often-upbeat instrumentation, and singer and writer Will Sheff is in fine form. Just check out opener "Lost Coastlines," where Sheff laments "every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide, well we have lost our way, nobody's gonna say it outright," along "Lust for Life"-esque bass and drum line before exploding into an energetic outro of "la la la's."

With song titles like "Singer Songwriter," "Pop Lie," and "On Tour With Zykos," it's not hard to figure out the theme of the record, but never once does Okkervil River bore or weigh down. "Singer Songwriter" is an effective country-rocker about artistic pretension that is actually quite entertaining if listened to closely (sample lyric: "you come from wealth / yeah, you got wealth / what a b*tch, they didn't give you much else"), while "Blue Tulip"'s miniscule details, from a simple yet intense lyric by Sheff to the gently tinkling piano, make a lasting image with just a few short strokes.


While Okkervil's decision to include three instrumental interludes evenly spaced throughout the album is, I suppose, a way of upholding the stage/tour theme, the trio's lack of substance only serves to keep the album from flowing along properly. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be a result of any lack of ideas; from the raucous, driving power pop of "Pop Lie" to the ambivalent melodrama of the rather animated "Calling And Not Calling My Ex," The Stand Ins is a fantastic piece of lyrical and musical ideas combining in ways that puts Okkervil River right up there with the Decemberists. Here's to the rigors and pains of the touring life!

Okkervil River really made a significant jump (don't call it a quantum leap) with last year's "The Stage Names" album, their 5th studio album, which gained critical acclaim all over, and finally won the band greater acclaim and recognition as well in the indie-rock scene. Now, almost exactly a year later comes their 6th studio album, a straight sequel to "The Stage Names", as indeed the recording sessions for that album were so fruitful and productive that it produced material for 2 albums. Rather than releasing a double-album, the band decided to release 2 separate albums.

"The Stand Ins" (11 tracks; 40 min.) brings 8 new tracks, amplified by 3 short instrumentals (those "stand ins"). After the first of those instrumentals, the album crashes in with "Lost Coastlines" and the hard-charging feeling of "The Stage Names" is immediately felt and continued. My favorite track of the album comes next, an equally urgent "Singer Songwriter", with a great opening line of "Your great-grandfather was a great lawyer/And his kid made a mint off the war", setting the stage for an irresistible tune. But truth be told, there are no weak tracks on here: from the pensive "Blue Tulip", to "Pop Lie" (sounding early 80's REM-like), to "Calling and Not Calling My Ex" to the impressive closer "Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed On the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel", it all flows great, and at 40 min., the album clips by in no time. Wow. Nice.

If you wonder where you can hear great indie music like this album, check out internet-only WOXY (Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll!), truly the best place for indie rock in the entire country in my book. Meanwhile, "The Stand Ins" is a great album. I finally had an opportunity to see these guys live earlier this year when they were still touring behind "The Stage Names" and they were terrific. I hope that Okkervil River will come back to this area soon as I can't wait to see how "The Stand Ins" translates in a live setting.

A follow-up to "The Stage Names," "The Stand Ins" is every bit as poetic, sad, beautiful, intelligent, and, at times, funny. From the beginning, 'Lost Coastlines" sounds terrifically happy, but lyrically rings with the giddy terror of sailors in denial of losing their way. Then "Singer-Songwriter" mocks social and economic elitism, and the album continues, track after track, to deliver compelling music coupled with lyrics written in prose or near-prose, reminiscent of Tom Waits. It is these stories, told tragically and beautifully well, that weave a tapestry over the course of two albums that make them worth listening to over and over and over again.

Okkervil River's follow up to The Stage Names lives up to its predecessor with another excellent collection of songs about being a "mid-level band", which builds on and complements the previous work. Others have noted the connection with the album art, and several of the songs are connected as well-"Starry Stairs" is Shannon Wilsey's defiant first person account, and connected to the heartbreaking "Savannah Smiles". "On Tour With Zykos" is one of the finer cuts and shows the point of view of the groupie from "A Girl In Port". Sailing connects "John Allyn Smith Sails" which ends TSN to the tune of Sloop John B., to the opening track "Lost Coastlines", and also to the final track on this album where Bruce Wayne Campbell is sailing off in his "morning starship". That's not to say this is just some academic intellectual exercise--the songs are engaging to listen to on their own as well. They can be funny as in "Singer Songwriter", which takes the self-important title character down a notch, or heartfelt as in "Starry Stairs" and "On Tour With Zykos". "Pop Lie" is an over the top power pop song, and I'm sure they love the irony of us singing along to "he's the liar who lied in his pop song, and you're lying when you sing along". My only criticism is the relative brevity of the album, though I appreciate the tightness of this effort. Okkervil River has really hit their stride and I can't wait to see what they do next.

I am a bit predjudiced since my son, Brian, is the guitarist on this CD, but it's an awesome CD.

I listen to WFUV in NY and they had been playing a song that I liked for quite some time. I finally looked up who they were and purchased the CD on a whim. What a great CD from beginning to end. Well worth buying

This CD is excellent. We liked it so much that we bought additional Okkervil River CDs. The melodies are beautiful and the story-telling refreshing.

The Stand Ins is the sequel to last year's stellar The Stage Names from Okkervil River and the two could have been released together as a double album. But really, could we handle that much awesome rock in one helping? Will Sheff thought not so he and his band have delivered two alabums instead. The theme of their latest, much like The Stand Ins, is fame and the essential meaningless of it all. With his typical slurred delivery, Sheff tears into this set of songs with his usual intensity and fervor. On Singer/Songwriter he attacks the entertainment industry in general when he wails, "and your world is gonna change nothing". Strong words indeed. Sheff may believe that, but the underlying message of his music is that he is still going to try and find meaning or maybe make some kind of impact, even if it's on a solitary listener who might be discovering the band for the first time. Elsewhere, Sheff attacks the empty gloss of popular music on the aptly titled, Pop Lie. With synthesizers (you read that right) added in the background, Sheff rants against "the liar who lied in his pop song" and then turns his aim at the comsumers of this junk by adding "and you lie when you're singing along". Scathing stuff, but it's ok because the music on this set rocks thoroughly. Sheff doesn't lie in his songs so no one should feel guilty for singing along.

Great album. "Singer Songwriter," "Pop Lies," and (the single) "Lost Coastlines" are three of the best songs I've heard this year. There is something so interesting about Will Sheff's song writing style and vocal stylings. I find the "Stand Ins" instrumental tracks sort of awkward. "Blue Tulips" and "Bruce Wayne" are definitely not two of my favorite songs. But all is forgotten because the other songs are so strong and unique. Okkervil River is definitely one of those bands more people should know about...

Personally I can take or leave Will Sheff sometimes, his slurry vocal wailing on songs like "Blue Tulip" can really turn me off. I'd be much happier if he sang without the "I'm a quarter drunk and in pain" inflection, because I like his voice in general.

But never mind, because the dude can flat out write, and the attraction here is a bunch of killer passages, including the above mentioned "Tulip", which drags much too long, but is still a fine song, not a melody line out of place. Not everything works, "Pop Lie" doesn't really hang together in the middle of the other gems, but for the most part it's so good you have to listen, even if the mood of any particular song isn't your style.

I realize it's been ten years now, but I'll be interested to hear what he might do in another five, maybe he can scale back the vocal drama a bit and really hit the bullseye. Because he's close, and on a heck of a roll besides, it's so rare when someone can write this well repetitively. Nice job.