![]() Two years later, Black Sheep Boy still impresses, and probably stands as Jagjaguwar’s best release. To say there’s a hint of Scott Walker or Leonard Cohen may be gushy, but not inaccurate. Among the album’s several moody ballads, the closer “A Glow” sticks out as an Americana spin on Joy Division. “Black” and “Latest Toughs” are Casio and Wurlitzer-driven pop songs that, aside from Sheff’s phlegmy croak, wouldn’t sound out of place on a New Pornographers album. “For Real” is a Pixies-esque exploration of dynamics-and a truly great rock song-that shifts from a muted guitar to a thrashing one within a breath. The songs on Black Sheep Boy are lovely and/or brutal. ![]() And the album’s narrative conceit is bold: Black Sheep Boy and its appendix/sequel craft its storyline as a continuation of the Tim Hardin song of same name. Sheff is not a subtle lyricist, but he’s a gifted one-his images are precise (“This room, unlit, unheated, and the ceiling striped and the dark black blinds”) and he’s a whiz at alliteration and euphony, such as on “The Latest Toughs,” where he unravels “To feel their feelings flash and finally fade away in one fabulous and fiery display” without sounding too ridiculous. Songwriter Will Sheff lays his (or his characters’) soul bare with wordy tomes that generally relate existential or romantic anguish to particularly violent deaths. ![]() Okkervil River’s sort-of-obvious-not-really mesh of emo and confessional country and folk is fully realized on the original full-length album. Schaff’s work aside, Black Sheep Boy is well worth owning. If every CD had inlay art this wonderful, internet piracy would be a moot issue. William Schaff’s album art on the Black Sheep Boy records is some of the best I’ve ever seen-elaborate wood-cut-style prints that are a terrifying blend of Edward Gorey and Terry Gilliam’s work for Monty Python. ![]() I couldn’t get the videos to work on my computer, but I’m guessing they’re pretty neat given the band’s taste for visuals. #Dark sheep head art dread plus#In this case, “definitive” means a two-disc set made up of the original album (disc one), the EP Black Sheep Boy Appendix and the b-side “The Next Four Months” (disc two), plus some multimedia goodies. With CD sales plummeting and labels hyping ringtones like they used to push singles, it’s refreshing to see that Okkervil River has so much faith in the album as a medium that they’re releasing a “definitive edition” of 2005’s Black Sheep Boy. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |