New Okkervil River

After a couple of tracks were previewed, NPR Music streams the full album from Okkervil River.  Lead singer Will Sheff is just my age, and the album harkens back to the small town he grew up in.

As such, the record captures not only his own autobiographical details, but also musical cues from the era. Like all Okkervil River records, The Silver Gymnasium showcases Sheff's uneasy warble, but this time it's set amid subtle synthesizers and the hallmarks of Springsteen's mid-'80s material. "Down Down the Deep River," for example, has an ambitious story to tell, but it's also wittily arranged, complete with an opening synth line that could just as well have been lifted from, say, ABC's. 'Be Near Me...'

The Silver Gymnasium sounds personal and specific, as it floats warmly in the soft spots that separate childhood from adolescence. Naturally, given the themes, the group tucks in plenty of era-specific cultural references (Atari cartridges, cassette tapes, et al), but Sheff and his collaborators aren't just waxing nostalgic; they also take care to surround the iconography with what function as free-standing Okkervil River songs.

After nearly three listens, I think some of this could be their strongest album yet. No track like Rider stands out for me yet, but the full album is far more complete than previous ones.  I am looking forward to the official release and the download.