OKKERVIL RIVER - Black Sheep Boy

"Black Sheep Boy" is truly a gem, one of those rare finds that, once discovered, stays with you for a lifetime.

The fourth album by Texans Okkervil River (not counting their 1998 debut EP "Bedroom") weaves intense, chiaroscuro textures, blending with enviable ease Dylanesque folk-rock, the country-pop of Wilco, and the skewed psychedelia of the Incredible String Band.

It's a sonic blend that nonetheless bears the unmistakable stamp of Will Robison Sheff's lyrical eccentricities: he leads us into an imaginary world - and perhaps all the more real for it - populated by psychopathic killers and tender lovers, rape victims and cowboys riding off into the sunset.

The previous "Down The River Of Golden Dreams" (2003, again on Jagjaguwar) had finally revealed the band's true interpretive abilities, though without reaching the near-perfection of this fresh new record; the only flaw to be found here is perhaps the excessive pop exuberance of the Beach Boys-esque backing vocals on "The Latest Toughs", but everything else is thoroughly accomplished.

The production magnificently plays up the contrast between liquid fullness and infinite emptiness, wrapping prosaic lyrics in soft beds of keyboards or evanescent guitar arpeggios, while not shying away from clawing viciously when needed ("For Real", a searing plunge into a troubled mind, or "Black", a passionate rock strut).

The tribute to Tim Hardin found in the title and in the eponymous opening track is a figure that recurs throughout the record's various episodes: the black sheep boy seems to stand for an ideal rural setting, reworked time and again in epic, western or elegiac terms.

He is, in short, the backdrop (the matrix) against which the demiurge Sheff sketches out his stories, backed by a dense crew of musicians (chief among them his friend and band co-founder Seth Warren).

Okkervil River (the name comes from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya) have perfectly honed their style and handle the complex instrumental interplay of their songs with real dexterity.

Special mention goes to the closing track, "A Glow", where a tear in the wind drifts across a gorgeous Far West sunset, buoyed by a languid, softly electric guitar and a muffled, tight rhythm section.

It's still too early to say whether "Black Sheep Boy" will leave a lasting mark on the history of rock music in recent years, but we're ready to count it among the top contenders.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

30/04/2026