Okkervil River - 'I Am Very Far'
Take a quick scan of all the online articles describing Austin alt-rockers Okkervil River and a certain set of terms will permeate each piece, namely ones like ‘poetic’ or ‘bookish’ or ‘hyper-literate.’ While such language may seem somewhat nebulous when used to describe the nuts and bolts of their actual music, it does offer an obvious insight as to the way in which the written word has played an important part in the group’s creative process.
Not only was the name of their band taken from the title of a short story by Russian writing royalty Tatyana Tolstaya, but the conceptual arc that interlocked 2007’s ‘The Stage Names‘ and 2008’s ‘The Stand Ins‘ was also more meta-memoir than rock record.
This year’s ‘I Am Very Far‘ is a much less literary affair, even with the world-weary ennui that frontman (and former music critic) Will Sheff works into every release. It seems fitting then that ‘Rider’, the standout single of the album, comes with an uneasy angst that will have you fist-pump first and head-scratch later.
The track begins with a hefty acoustic strum backed by a steady snare smack; all before the nervous energy of Sheff’s voice lifts the song up, only to have it get carried away by a rollicking piano line buried underneath an emerging swell of guitar. Despite the lack of a central shout-along hook, the spectacular shift between spare vocal-driven verse and lush orchestral chorus still gives ‘Rider’ the anthemic aura of arena-ready Americana.
That notion of new approach to old sound is stark throughout, as the entire tune is defined by merging the heartland rock of forebears like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, with the long-winded lyricism of like-minded contemporaries Bright Eyes and Titus Andronicus.
The real story behind the song, however, is revealed in the recording technique. With Sheff handling the production duties for the first time, there is a newfound ambition apparent on the album as a whole, but particularly on ‘Rider’. Sheff assembled an army of musicians for the sessions, rounding up two drummers, two bass players, two pianists, and seven guitarists to all play together live at the same time in the same room. Throw in a cello, some timpani, and three extra vocalists, and the intention becomes evident: this one is meant to be heard, not read.
(Beau De Lang)
