Sheff Tackles Farley and Proclaims "The Choice Is Yours"

Okkervil River
Black Sheep Boy (Jagjaguwar)

Every music lover indubitably has an artist that continually eludes his grasp. It's the band you've been "meaning to check out" but spent too much time at the corner bar before arriving unfashionably late to the show. And somehow this mishap has repeated itself four times for no particular reason. You hold the copy of their latest album in your hand but then find a used rare bootleg of Turbonegro's seemingly last show (in '98, yeah right!) for two dollars less. So naturally, you buy the bootleg. Your friends throw theme parties for lovers of the band, and you're not invited, depite your persistant "Burn me copy!" and pestering "C'mon, tell me what they're all about!" For the past half year, Okkervil River was that band.

No longer though. For the past two weeks, after a waiting to be lessoned in the ways of Will Sheff, I've immersed myself fully in his new full-length album Black Sheep Boy. Sheff's new vessel has garnered comparisons to all the indie giants of current day, Neutral Milk Hotel to name one. However, Black Sheep Boy is no In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It doesn't possess the raw ingenuity or the insane brilliance of Jeff Mangum's masterpiece. While Neutral Milk Hotel stands as a fine, avant garde piece of sculpture, Okkervil River is more of a sturdy table, built on plain, but strong legs of folk, country and emo.

Besides, a Bright Eyes comparison is much more fitting. Sheff's voice is a lot like Conor Oberst at times, in its quivering and whimpering, but is more forceful and urgent, and more manly when kicking it up a notch. It's more adult, weathered and earthbound, like a David Bazan of Pedro the Lion, which differs from Oberst who is inextricably linked with youth . The comparsions don't end there. Okkervil's songs compound on both Bazan and Oberst's best qualities, exploring grave matter such as family dysfunction, wanderlust, alienation and heartbreak in an extremely literate fashion, while never forgetting that a driving melody can really pound home a message.

The album opens with a cover of '60s folkie Tim Hardin, aptly titled "Black Sheep Boy" but dives immediately into the manic "For Real". Sheff proudly displays his over-dramatic vocals in this peaks and valleys number. It's Sheff at his most visceral, cawing out "I really did miss what really did exist when I held your throat so tight", with crashing cymbals and distored guitars follow his every attack. Black Sheep Boy works through a familiar slow song, fast song, slow song pattern with such grace. While "A King and Queen" strives on its fantastic folk waltz, "The Latest Toughs" is an upbeat fuck 'em all anthem."In a Radio Song" is a hushed folk lullabye (with an uncanny Bazan-like vocal performance) then Sheff switches gears into "Black", an uptempo, wurlitzer driven track, plowing and rollicking with Sheff's punchy vocal. The album's shining star is the lovely "Get Big" as Sheff trades off vocal duty with Amy Annelle and sings "So drink your cup down to the dregs/ and leave that club on shaky legs/with another guy: but remember I'm not him" over an array of lap steel and heartbreak country sensibility.

Black Sheep Boy is not wholly original but it really strives on tight execution and delivery. And for all the time that I've unintentionally waited to hear Okkervil River, I haven't been disappointed. And now that I've familiarized myself with them, for the love of all things good and holy, will someone please tell me something about Frog Eyes.

Okkervil River is opening for Earlimart at Slim's 5/20/05. Black Sheep Boy is available in stores now.

Okkervil River: http://jound.com/okkervil/