December 8, 2008
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE NATIONAL?:
Not Art Rock: Top 10 'Smart Rock' Albums (David Brown, December 2, 2008, NPR)
1. Okkervil River
Album: The Stand Ins
Song: Lost CoastlinesAustin's signature smart-rock quintet picked up even more national momentum in 2008 with the release of, in essence, a collection of outtakes from an aborted double-album. In many ways, this is more like the flip side to last year's The Stage Names; whereas the earlier disc was a meditation on fame, this new collection is about the collateral damage—the emotions curdling under the spotlight. Songwriter Will Sheff mashes up power-pop, '60s folk, new wave and even Motown to form a backdrop for nearly a dozen lush, pint-sized portraits. The result is a miniature masterpiece.