Best Album
I'm in love with this album, above the rest. The rawness and authenticity will change your life...
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worth it for Westfall alone
i'm a big fan of the band. Westfall is must own. The rest is good, not great.
Great Album
We all know that we can expect to be blown away by any Okkervil River album by now, so I'll just say that if you have to choose just two tracks on the album, go with Red, Westfall and The Okkervil River Song. They rank among the best that Okkervil River has ever done. The Okkervil River Song perfectly recalls the isolation of childhood and the joy to be found in companionship. And Westfall. Westfall is simply one of the best songs ever written. It's a perfectly timed, shocking, evocative story that will never leave your head.
Evil don't look like anything.
Sure, suggesting that "Westfall" is one of the best songs of the modern era is a hopeless task. Okkervil River's downplayed melodies and synchopated banjo-infused musical creations will never catch on with a modern, gum-chewing audience and therefore reach the popularity necessary to achieve the title I propose. Nevertheless, "Westfall" is a trip so seemingly whimsical and phantasmagoric you don't realize that what you're tapping your feet to is a song about nihlistic adolescent murder.
My personal favourite
Pretty much impeccable from start to finish, and has the two OR tracks I admire the most--"Westfall" and "Listening to Otis Redding..."
Best of the Best
Whats so great about OR is, every fan has a different favorite album by them. I have to hand it to them for their newer releases because they have polished up their sound incredibly. This album just has so much heart into it. A little rough on the edges, sure, but thats what makes it so intriguing. There seems to be more uptempo songs that have quite an alt-country (even a bluegrass) feel to it. Overall very unique, any fans of bands such as The Decemberists should start with this album.
Great album
If you like the out of tune vocals of Bright Eyes, and the minor sounds of ol' time music you will like this band. I REALLY enjoyed the album. The songs where Daniel Johnston sings are fantastic!
Download Now!
I cannot say enough good things about this album, or this band. Will Sheff's (of Shearwater) songwriting is beautiful, in a dark somber way. The music rises and falls from whispers to crescendos, while always complementing the lyrics perfectly. Sheff's voice is dry and cracked, adding an unusual warmth and human side to his intimate lyrics.
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