When it comes to Okkervil River, picking a favorite album is nearly impossible. Their first three records alone (Don’t Fall in Love With Everyone You See, Down the River of Golden Dreams, and Black Sheep Boy) are beyond jam-packed with songs that make you ache with a whirl of emotions full of romance, sadness, nostalgia and beyond, with lyrics that capture you with their beautiful storytelling and the endearing lead vocals of Will Sheff that are calming and steady and yet drenched with passion and a perfectly imperfect tone. He’s the kind of singer that pours his heart into his music, and there isn’t one song that Okkervil River has released in their fifteen years of being a band that you don’t feel that emotional commitment.
There are plenty of tracks in the band’s discography that are soft and slow, like “Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas” and “Get Big,” but on the flip side to that the band doesn’t hold back with peppering in these super catchy songs that are perfect for playing live, especially off their album The Stage Names with songs like “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and “Unless It’s Kicks.”
The band explores a varied sound on their later albums, revealing a new, poppier, more polished energy than their earlier work, which at first listen might come as a bit of a surprise for fans. But on Away, their release from 2016, the band returns to their indie sweet spot, especially on tracks like “Okkervil River R.I.P” and “Comes Indiana Through the Smoke.” With their upcoming tour Okkervil River will be playing acoustic, to create an inspiring and intimate experience, and all songs will be chosen by their fans.
Joe’s Pub
7/27
w/ Jesse Hale Moore
7:30 p.m.+ 10 p.m.
$25
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