Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Okkervil River. The Stage Names. 2007. 3 stars.

Okkervil River sound like a melting pot of modern indie rock, taking all the folksiness of The Arcade Fire, The Shins, The Decemberists and Neutral Milk Hotel, and blending them all in a charming and lyrical package. The songs here are sweet, catchy and full of wit, but I can’t shake the feeling of familiarity that lines the entire record. While it may be difficult to differentiate these Austin natives from the top-tier of folk-tinged indie-rock, their knack for storytelling and refined vocal and compositional sensibilities have earned them a cult following. The Stage Names starts out strong, with lyrically clever and hook filled tunes like the whip smart “Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe”, the stomping “Unless It’s Kicks” and the delicate ballad of “Savannah Smiles”. The album unfortunately cannot keep the steady momentum for long and the later tracks tend to drag on into slower passages until it finally climaxes with their faithful cover of Brain Wilson’s “John Allyn Smith Sails”. A solid album but its best digested in parts, especially the strong opening half.

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