I Am Very Far

Time to change

The Texas-based quintet Okkervil River needs a tiny something to move from the good bands division to the standout acts league. It is quite difficult to produce any serious and well-grounded claims to this formation. Okkervil River has always been an example of a band releasing studio records once in two or three years. Owing to their vocalist Will Sheff, they have their own characterс and attitude. Will has long been considered one of the indie-rock’s most talented and unique songwriters. His peculiar poetry is well supported with the design of Okkervil River albums, each having some mystique and even eerie cover. In 2011, the Americans, working exactly according to their strict schedule, released a new studio full-length work, I Am Very Far, their sixth is ten years. According to Sheff’s statements, Okkervil River intended to do something they’d never done before. What pushed the band, which always tried to stay close to their original style, to adjust their sounding? And what are these adjustments exactly?

What’s new in Okkervil River music?

What if even the title I Am Very Far gives us a hint to Okkervil River’s deviation from their traditional route? What if the changing of the course mostly impacted the lyrics just as well as music? Well, in fact, in both cases the answer is yes. The significant reduction of the folk-based component in the instrumental part left us with only one song where we can clearly hear traces of country, and that is Lay Of The Last Survivor. Quality and loud rock and roll is a rare guest here and remarkably presented only in a couple of songs, The Valley, and White Shadow Waltz. In the meantime, Sheff insisted on recording some of the tracks with a great many guest instrumentalists. These are Rider, and Wake And Be Fine. Their making appeared a long and painstaking process. It could not go any other way because it involved as many as seven guitarists. Nevertheless, the main innovation introduced to the music of Okkervil River on I Am Very Far is orchestral arranging. Thank to their widespread application, some tracks, like Your Past Life As A Blast or Hanging From A Hilt received more emotional impulse.

Okkervil River stepped forward

Speaking about the text side of the new songs from Okkervil River, Will Sheff refused to carry on the concept-based approach. The eleven tracks contained inside I Am Very Far not only differ musically, but do not follow one and the same idea or theory. It will take anyone a many more times than one just to understand generally what Sheff’s twisting lyrics are about, but classy combination of his vocals with music background form a very attractive sounding to this record. This spares you some time to get used to the album – you are going to like it right from the start. The arrangings provide live instruments with smooth and coherent sounding, which makes listening to it very easy. In fact, you perceive the whole record so effortlessly that you would never think about how hard it could be for the musicians to make it. Well, their sacrifice in the studio is going to pay with interest. I Am Very Far, indeed, is not like the previous effort by Okkervil River. Although their music is slightly less heavy, we have no right to accuse the band of selling out or striving to get to a wider audience. On this record, we have a very interesting sort of material where each new listening will unfold you something new both in the music and in the words.