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The Stand Ins Image
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 22 Ratings

  • Summary: The indie rock band releases its latest album produced by Brian Beattie.

Top Track

Lost Coastlines
Packed and all eyes turned in, no one to see on the quay No one waving for me just the shoreline receding Ticket in my hand, thinking wish I didn't... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 29
  2. Negative: 1 out of 29
  1. This Austin quintet follows 2007's "The Stage Names" with a second tour de force about the collateral damage of fame.
  2. All of Sheff’s characters once again come to life on The Stand Ins. More stories are told from the first person than on "The Stage Names," but the theme shines through.
  3. Filter
    82
    The Stand Ins is rich with traces of its conterpart. [Fall 2008, p.92]
  4. Though it stands up well enough on its own The Stand Ins does feel like a follow-up, rather than something completely new and fresh and forward looking, and it is not as instantly gripping as The Stage Names, it takes longer to wind your way into your mind.
  5. Alternative Press
    80
    The pair of albums don't feel at all like a gimmick, but more like a labor of love that gives each of frontman Will Sheff's characters the appropriate amount of time to shine. [Oct 2008, p.152]
  6. It's a straight line from Pet Sounds to Pulp's Different Class, and while Stand Ins and its predecessor share R&B riffs affected with a country twang, connecting this latest dip in the Okkervil to a '90s Pulp-y-ness is a refreshing move.
  7. This record is a sequel to 2007’s "The Stage Names," and it shares its predecessor’s concerns: artifice, authenticity, and above all, the sniveling insincerity of hazy-eyed media zombies.

See all 29 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Jan 29, 2012
    8
    Okkervil River is one of the best bands to come out of Austin. "The Stand Ins" has a few flaws but for the most part, it's a great album.Okkervil River is one of the best bands to come out of Austin. "The Stand Ins" has a few flaws but for the most part, it's a great album. "Lost Coastlines" is an excellent track and really opens the album up to more amazing tracks that are unpredictable. Will Sheff's lyrics are sad at times but you can really relate. All In All, "The Stand Ins" is a really great album. I recommend it. B+ Expand