Okkervil River
The Stand-Ins

Concept as Secondary; Music as Primary

Double albums are notoriously tricky things (re: Say Anything's In Defense of the Genre). For some, the strict adherence to a theme or plot can make 20-30 tracks on one proper album seem awfully long-winded, and for the most part, boring. For others, a double album just seems like a artistic excuse to not edit studio sessions down to a complete whole. So how, then, do you mitigate the double album curse, while still creating a concept too big for one album alone?

How about two albums?

Hey, it worked for Coheed & Cambria (whose four album saga rarely, if ever, lingered in bore). And, thankfully, it worked for Okkervil River, who release The Stand-Ins on the heels of last year's excellent Stage Names. If you haven't caught the concept yet, lyricist Will Sheff and his novel-esque witicism and melancholy pen a strange and loose tale of the troubles of pop fame. But don't worry; if you're not into the idea of a small indie-pop band making big statements about stardom, the albums eight fleshed out tracks are certainly enough to keep your ear tingled with joy. The Stand-Ins never lingers either; throwing the word "long-winded," well, into the wind, Okkervil River release an 11-song album that is just barely over 40 minutes, and if you discount the three instrumental movement changes, only 8 songs and 38 minutes. Take that, pretension!

But how is it? Well, as stated before, Sheff is at his lyricist best. "On Tour with Zykos" and "Singer Songwriter" come awfully close to preciousness and over-narrative, but perhaps this teetering on the edge is what makes the story so damn compelling. The words also don't dwell inside the story to a incomprehensible degree; "Blue Tulip," a fans lament for pop, relates incredibly well, as does the superb pop song, "Pop Lie," which is clever just within it's title. The occasional misstep isn't even really a misstep; "Bruce Wayne Campell Interview" isn't really a closer, especially to a concept, but it certainly is a good enough lament for the under-appreciated who sit under the scene in the world of drama and pop.

The music, too, is as compelling as ever. Although it is certainly not as good, or viciously interesting, as last years Stage Names (partly because it is much the same sound, which is not necessarily a fault), Okkervil River don't let the contradiction of indie-pop restrain them. "Lost Coastlines" might be a song Jerry Lee Lewis wrote, were he alive today and angry about the scene. "Pop Lie" is almost a New Pornographers track, although that kind of emulation is almost welcome to the rest of the largely acoustic based album. "Calling and Not Calling My Ex," incredible name and narrative aside, is probably the second best Ben Folds song of the past two years (the first actually being a Ben Folds song), if Folds had suddenly found the knack for playing guitar. And the couplet of "Starry Stairs" and "Blue Tulip" presents fandom and its ransom in two darkly different and vivifying ways. That might be The Stand-Ins greatest strength; regardless of positioning, the music never falls behind and relies on the lyrics for support. The music and words are always in tune, allowing for a pleasurable listen, if messageless.

And before you say otherwise, I will conceded that The Stage Names and Stand-Ins certainly prove Okkervil River have something to say about pop fandom, although it will take some time for first time listeners to swim through Sheff's dense, if amazing, verse to get to it. The problem is, most people won't take the time to hear it. There are moments of message (the end of "Singer Songwriter" and "Bruce Wayne Campbell") that will resonate, but mostly, The Stand-Ins is a collection of wonderful pop songs connected by a semi-apparent overarching idea. Okkervil River have it right; let the music force the idea, not the other way around. Other bands would be remiss in not paying attention to Sheff and co., as The Stand-Ins is certainly an excellent second disc to the concept of pop contradiction.

Overall:A-

Tracklisting:
1. Stand Ins, One
2. Lost Coastlines
3. Singer Songwriter
4. Starry Stairs
5. Blue Tulip
6. Stand Ins, Two
7. Pop Lie
8. On Tour with Zykos
9. Calling and Not Calling My Ex
10. Stand Ins, Three
11. Bruce Wayne Campbell Interview on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979