Okkervil River is one of those bands that have been making good music for ten years, but suddenly and mysteriously, their new album (which is really not much different than their previous) takes off with the hipster set and they find themselves thrust to the forefront of the North American Indie scene (see: Black Sheep Boy). No one's quite able to explain why they weren't beloved as far back as their debut, but no one really seems to care.
The focus inevitably shifts to speculation about whether or not they can follow their breakout disc with something equally as compelling. And so, with rolled up sleeves and their usual flare for the dramatic, Okkervil River strolled into Lee's Palace to tout their latest, The Stage Names.
It's likely the legions of devotees that were brought to tears by songsmith Will Sheff's Black Sheep Boy were a bit disappointed by the bright turn that Stage Names took, but Okkervil did their best to cater to all crowds on this particular night. The new tracks were energetic, the old tracks were appropriately dour, and set closer "Westfall" had indie kids running home to pull out their copies of Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See to give it a much-needed re-listen. It's hard to imagine Okkervil putting on a more explosive show than this, but I'm sure they'll somehow manage to top it next time around.
(4.5/5)
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