Left under a rock out on Rockaway Beach

Rider – Okkervil River

I’ve been writing this blog for about five years now. And for basically that entire time, I’ve insisted that Okkervil River is the best band in the world. Unbelievable live shows, a string of great records, extremely smart lyrics, great melodies. They make it all look so easy that you wonder why there is so much dreck out there.

With the release of I Am Very Far this year, the first kernels of doubt have begun to enter my mind. Which is not to say that this is a bad album. It is emphatically not. However, there is no denying that it’s worse than The Stand Ins, which was worse than The Stage Names, which was worse than Black Sheep Boy. And while your mileage may vary, I think you go back even further to Down the River of Golden Dreams to find their high-water mark.

It’s a testament to just how ridiculously good this band is that they can decline significantly and still put out one of the best records of the year.

I can divide the weaknesses of this record into two general categories. First, there are simply too many filler tracks. “Piratess” is excruciatingly dull: a listless beat combined with a strangely atonal vocal performance from Sheff. And the less said about “Show Yourself” the better. Suffice to say that it would feel overlong at 90 seconds. At five an a half minutes it is just begging to be skipped. The same can be said to a lesser degree about “Your Past Life as a Blast.” In fact, those two tracks, combined with the untapped possibility of “The Rise” mean that the final third of the record is mostly a waste. You could treat this is a 7-song EP and it would come off a lot better, really.

The second problem is the forgettable lyrics. Every previous record from them has developed stories, characters, and ideas. The songs have made revealed themselves through their evocations. This time: the lyrics are fine enough, I suppose. But there is nothing particularly memorable. There is no war criminal rising and speaking. There is no festering anger of the black sheep boy. You don’t finish the album feeling like you genuinely understand the psychology of the guy with a girl in every port, or the plus ones. “Rider” or “Lay of the Last Survivor” or “We Need a Myth” – these are great songs but what are they really ABOUT? I’m not sure. The general theme of the record seems to be mythic creatures and stories, but it’s all a bit too abstract to really cohere.

But enough dwelling on negativity. Let’s talk about what makes this album absolutely worth your time. At the top of the list is the aforementioned “Rider.” They’ve always had a little bit of Springsteen in their sound, but on this track it’s in full force. It’s vibrant and energetic, with the sort of spitfire delivery that Sheff is so good at. It’s right up there with their very best songs.

The following track “Lay of the Last Survivor” is also stupendous. More low-key in tone, extremely pretty. It’s a paean to inevitable ends, the mortality of all things beautiful. We fight against it but deep down we know that there is no victory, only delays.

Some other songs have a lot to recommend. “The Valley” is a bit too ostentatious, but is a tremendous rocking start. “Hanging from a Hit” is tender and jagged. “We Need a Myth” is slightly rote but more than makes up for it with pure energy.

Flawed album? Sure. Minor disappointment? Yes, again. But it’s still really good.