Okkervil River

“Black Sheep Boy Appendix” (Jagjaguwar)

Compare to: Fruit Bats, Sufjan Stevens, The Arcade Fire

When writing songs for a new album, very rarely does a band use every song on the final track listing. What becomes of the unused tracks differs, but many times they are turned into rare, sought after B-sides. For indie rockers Okkervil River, however, those unused songs were deemed far more precious.

Picking the best of the discarded and adding on two brand-new tracks, Okkervil River created a miniature disc, “Black Sheep Boy Appendix.” A complimentary record to Okkervil’s earlier 2005 release “Black Sheep Boy,” the new “Appendix” showcases weepy string arrangements, a lingering organ and dark, poetic lyrics.

“Appendix” plays out more like a narrative epic than anything else. One lyrical story melts into the next, carrying with it extremely vivid images. The first track, a darker solemn piece that floats on the frail, vulnerable words of vocalist Will Sheff, becomes transformed into an enchanted folk concept with the shy emergence of the harp.

The rest of the album is full of experimental sounds, most vivid on the mysterious instrumental “A Forest” and the lyrical masterpiece “Another Radio Song.”

Okkervil River is a smart band. Instead of trying to pull a off a double record, the band chose to hold off, and by keeping consistent both melodically and thematically with its recent full-length release, Okkervil produced a clever and intelligent extension.

– Katie Piepel