Okkervil River Down The River Of Golden Dreams

If last year's "Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See" was the middle of the darkest night of the year, "Down The River Of Golden Dreams" is the earliest light of a morning that could either bring the first breeze of spring or a battalion of tornadoes. On it the band streches their wings, they shake off the fear and trepidation of the last record and try to look life in the face, emboldened by distorted blasts of Wurlitzer, guttural stabs of Hammond organ, urbane strings, and jaunty horns that cuold be the work of a shitfaced Canadian Brass. "Down The River Of Golden Dreams" combines with OKKERVIL's trademark melancholy a sense of drama and play at which the last album only hinted. It oozes the band's signature string-destroying folk-rock attack and umbilical chamber-pop swoon, but it also echoes the venomous cabaret of Jaques Brel, the off-kilter swagger of the FACES and Bob Dylan's "Blonde On Blonde" and the dusky balladry of Nick Cave. In addition, it displays a new confidence in frontman Will Sheff, whose concise, literary lyrics and emotionally direct delivery are rapidly distinguishing him as one of rock music's best new Songwriters.