$14.98 (list price), Rock/Pop, Jagjaguwar Basic Story: Following the critical acclaim of Black Sheep Boy in 2005, Okkervil River look to lighten up the mood a little this time around.
Sample: “Midnight late last week/ my daughter’s diary/ didn’t know what it might be ‘til it was open/ I only read one page/ and then put it away/ talk about your big mistakes.”
Verdict: The first three songs on The Stage Names lead you to believe that Okkervil River has done it again. With the fast-paced rocker “Unless It’s Kicks,” it’s hard to believe otherwise. Then suddenly, the songs digress into flat out boring territory where they remain for the rest of the album. By the end, singer Will Sheff’s lyrics become so painfully bad that it makes it hard to go back and take any of it seriously. As it closes, echoing the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B,” it becomes obvious that the band just lost its steam.
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