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- Summary: This is the fourth album for the Austin band led by singer-songwriter Will Sheff.
- Record Label: Jagjaguwar
- Genre(s): Indie, Rock
- More Details and Credits »
Top Track
| For Real | |
|---|---|
| Some nights I thirst for real blood, for real knives, for real cries. And then the flash of steel from real guns in real life really fills my... | See the rest of the song lyrics |
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 21 out of 22
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Mixed: 1 out of 22
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Negative: 0 out of 22
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Alternative Press[Sheff's] uncompromisingly literate songs provide unusually rewarding payoffs. [May 2005, p.124]
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The New York TimesWhat's most exciting about ''Black Sheep Boy'' is that Okkervil River sounds more than ever like a band. [9 Apr 2005]
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It's hard not to stare in open-mouthed amazement at the sheer brilliance of Black Sheep Boy, though you're trying to clinically dissect all the elements that make it so.
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It's like Bright Eyes -- urgent, personal, pent-up -- but better; less focused on the individual ego of the "creative genius," more about the group dynamics.
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By album's end, two coming-of-age stories are complete: the boy has grown into a black sheep man, and the literate musicians have become a hell of a rock band.
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It could be a recipe for pretentious folly, but Sheff harnesses his intricate arrangements and barbed, literate lyrics to cracking tunes.
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Black Sheep Boy has bold ambitions, but Okkervil River hasn’t quite reached the point where polished execution equals or surpasses preliminary concept.
Score distribution:
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Positive: 57 out of 59
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Mixed: 1 out of 59
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Negative: 1 out of 59
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MCJul 1, 2005
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DanOJun 21, 2005Album of the year thus far, glad this finally got put on here.
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RobTJul 5, 2009Black Sheep Boy is a masterpiece on level with NMH's Aeroplane Over the Sea.
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ivebeenlisteningtookkervillongerthanyouSep 20, 2005this is their most musicaly and emotionly polished album yet
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anthonywJul 10, 2006Fantastic album, easily in the top 5 albums of 05. An epic story of the Black Sheep Boy weaved into a storytellers album. Easily their best work.
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MikeMOct 14, 2007Simply phenomenal. Okkervil River's crowing achievement, and a pure joy to listen to from start to finish. I cannot recommend this album enough.
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[Anonymous]Jun 23, 2005no more boring americana albums look ahead fellas
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