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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More of the same, and that's a great thing, September 9, 2008
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.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins 9/10, September 9, 2008
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!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hey thanks John, go sing songs, go rock on, September 29, 2008
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.
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