September 2008 Archive |
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Okkervil River
The Stand-Ins
By Chris Drabick
Upon the release of its career-defining masterwork The Stage Names last year, Okkervil River leader Will Sheff remarked that the band had recorded songs with the intent of making that record a double LP. The decision to edit down was a major benefit, as Stage Names was a lean and mean record, especially for a band that had tended to leave far too much gristle on records like (the mostly excellent but occasionally overblown and certainly overlong) Black Sheep Boy. Okkervil, and Sheff, appeared to turn a corner and figured out how to keep the best and forget the rest. Unfortunately, The Stand-Ins proves this is not entirely the case.
This record is ostensibly the sequel to Stage Names. Don’t believe it, as these are outtakes through and through. “Lost Coastlines” or “Starry Stairs,” while being among the best songs here, do not stand up to the dizzying quality of Stage Names. Taken on its own, there are some solid moments, as the hopped-up New Wave of “Pop Lie” is pretty worthwhile and most of the rest will appeal to fans. Overall, though, The Stand-Ins is a brutally frank title; much like their cinematic counterpart, the songs of this record can’t do the job, but can hold the place for their superiors well enough to help the process along a bit. There’s just not enough that stands out on Stand-Ins.
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