Reviews
"The meditative album stretched the archetypical outsider into an antihero with many faces and placed Okkervil River among the most promising bands in indie rock.", 4 stars out of 5 - "The music is quite beautiful, while the vocals sound like the unnatural union of Will Oldham and Robert Smith.", "The sincerity in delivery of his densely literate lyrics is second to none. The magnitude of feeling is further emphasised by the haunting melodies from strings, raw guitars, analogue synths, horns and mandolins.", 5 out of 5 - "Sheff's uncompromisingly literate songs provide unusually rewarding payoffs. Musically, the band capture chamber pop in a rustic barbed-wire trap.", Ranked #2 in Mojo's "2005 Americana Albums of the Year.", "Okkervil River's Will Sheff has spun Hardin's two-minute ditty into an impressionistic narrative full of blood and conflict, of creaky folk waltzes and surprisingly upbeat rock.", 3 stars out of 5 - "Will Sheff's novelistic lyrics and the dexterous blend of country, folk and nervy indie-rock suggest a band approaching the peak of their powers."
