Nothing short of something special

On July 29, 2022, via the Youtube Channel of Okkervil River, Will Sheff announced to the world that he was to release solo material, called Nothing Special. “I’m lucky… I’m lucky that I get to do this. And I feel that it’s way more fulfilling,” he said in his announcement video, seeming truly grateful for his chance to develop a full album, this time, solo.

Will Sheff has longtime had his name associated with his longtime band, Okkervil River. However, despite his involvement in the music industry since ’99, he had never released a solo work that wasn’t a feature. That is, until the 7th of October of the present year, when he released his first studio album, Nothing Special. 

“The Spiral Season” starts us off on a dreamlike topline with a short delay and a soft stereo guitar that aims to give the song a nostalgic feeling. As soon as the piano enters, the song becomes more emotional. Up until we reach the chorus, the song plays a lot with the entrance and exit of different instruments in the beginning. It gives a slightly different vibe to each section. “The Spiral Season” is reminiscent of ’90s soft rock, and country, simultaneously. Sheff plays with rhythm in the chorus, keeping the audience on their toes to hear how the melody aligns with the chords. 

With a subtle contrast, “In the Thick of It” kicks off with just the piano, but you don’t realize it is some sort of ballad until a few bars in. The song uses sailing and ocean imagery to talk about kids sailing burgundy waves in a “darling dumb haze” as they sail through their lives. Sheff reminisces about his childhood, from the time he broke his hand, and adolescence, to the time he recalled being 16 and feeling like he knew the way of the world. “Nothing is certain, we’re dancing another day,” Sheff declares as a closing statement, letting the song not end, but fade to the album’s next track.

“Estrangement Zone” immediately takes the album into a more indie-influenced direction. The track feels somehow a bit psychedelic, aided by the electric guitars. It feels a bit reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know,” having a similar instrumentation. In comparison, “Estrangement Zone” inevitably is more toned down, has less bass punch, and evokes a feeling of grief and desolation.

Back into tranquility, “Nothing Special,” is a more folk-sounding track. It keeps the same melody from beginning to end, yet the lyrics are anything but stagnant. The track narratively seems to be the continuation of “In the Thick of It.” It tells the story of two friends trying to find their path to greatness, only to stumble along the way, and question to themselves, “Are we nothing special?” It vulnerably shares feelings of running out of time, and somehow feeling freed of expectations once he fails to achieve them, “I’m not getting what I want, When I’ve lost it, I’m finally free, to be nothing special.” “Nothing Special” is melancholic, and nostalgic for a greater purpose that feels like it was never fulfilled.

“Holy Man” has a simple yet relaxed layering of electric guitars. Its percussions are more free than those in “Nothing Special.” Uncompressed now and being included in the essence of the song, instead of being left out in the sidelines to make space for the rest of the instrumentation.

“Like the Last Time” starts off as another dreamy ballad. Unexpectedly, the chorus hits hard, the guitars become more upfront and the drums kick into high gear. The electric guitar has a solo in the post-chorus, achieving its purpose of piercing the listener’s soul, along with Sheff’s soulful vocals, a nice contrast to his usual dream-like state of singing. He seems awake now, and the listener is, too.

Returning to folk ballads, “Marathon Girl” is more emotional and grounded. It’s more lyric-focused, almost like a poem that’s sung. A lyric that stands out is “love that we love little loving things so small and brave, ‘cause nothing goes to waste,” it is an ode to letting go.

“Evidence” closes the album in a cozy dream-like state again, Sheff sings about “going back to the childhood light.” He reminisces on his past decisions, making bad calls, his career, and learning from nature. 

Nothing Special feels autobiographical: intimate and nostalgic. Sheff uses water and sea-related imagery across the entire album to tell the story of his life and life experiences. He “sails through the winds, swims with the waterfalls, sings in the submarine, and sits like a pearl in the center of the world” in this album, needing to make everything real. Laced with elements of indie and folk, it creates and vulnerably defends its reason for its own, unique sound.