I Am Very Far
Encyclopedia
I Am Very Far is the sixth album by Okkervil River
, released on May 10, 2011. It was produced primarily in Austin
, Connecticut and Brooklyn
by lead singer Will Sheff
with John Congleton and Phil Palazzolo.
and The Stand Ins
. In the words of songwriter Will Sheff, "I found myself wanting to not be accessible and not be crowd pleasing and basically be self-pleasing and follow what I thought was really interesting." This is the first Okkervil River
album that Sheff produced, following his production of Roky Erickson
's 2010 album True Love Cast Out All Evil
. From this experience, Sheff attests to gaining "a kind of chaotic, powerful energy that swirls around Roky that I started to feel infecting my own writing and my own sonic ideas and desires."
In studio, the band experimented with various recording methods in each session, including fastforwarding and rewinding a cassette tape and then doubling the noises on electric guitar, tearing off strips of duct tape for percussion, singing while strolling around the room, and hurling file-cabinets across the studio. Some songs had input from a vast number of session musicians playing in the same room ('Rider', 'We Need a Myth'), the latter of which opens with the strumming of 45 classical guitars.
Lyrically, I Am Very Far is also a sharp departure from their previous work. Whereas previous albums were often composed of highly literate takes on rock legends and tropes, this album's lyrics tend to portray dark and indistinct dreamscapes. Sheff explained that "interiority is a really important thing to me, and a lot of this record did come from a subconscious, unconscious place, and I wanted it to respond to that corresponding place in listeners... I wanted it to really feel like it was operating on a subterranean level."
, the album has a score of 80 out of 100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."
Sputnikmusic
wrote "I Am Very Far is certainly a more enthralling listen than The Stand Ins
was; though it may lack some of the emotional impact of Down the River of Golden Dreams
, or especially Black Sheep Boy
the album remains a welcomed addition into the work of a band who commands great quality-control." Jim Scott of Under the Radar
called the album "...one of the best records of the year," writing "I Am Very Far makes a strong case for Sheff to be considered one of the very best writers in music today." Scott concluded: "...looking at this stretch of recordings with such a finite lens is doing them a disservice: this is music to cherish forever." Some reviewers praised the band for pursuing a new sound on the album, with Erik Adams of The A.V Club writing "It’s no longer the Okkervil River of The Stage Names
or Black Sheep Boy
, and that’s a plus: I Am Very Far signals that the band’s gifts with song and sentiment were never tied to specificity." Slant Magazine
's Jaymie Baxley also gave the album a positive review, writing "Fans who approach I Am Very Far carrying expectations informed by the group's earlier releases will no doubt find this to be Okkervil River's most challenging work to date, but it's also the group's most grandiose, thrilling, and brilliant."
Tiny Mix Tapes
, on the other hand, was less receptive to the band's new sound, writing "But rather than serve as a radical departure for Okkervil River, I Am Very Far treads familiar ground with a superficial extroversion that can't match the emotional particularity of the rest of the band's back catalog." In another mixed review, Philip Cosores of One Thirty BPM
called the I Am Very Far Okkervil River's "...weakest album to date." Cosores continued: "I Am Very Far is often a noisy album, seeming experimental, but ultimately just poorly edited, with the songs overly busy and taking the focus away from the songwriting and lyrics that are Sheff’s strengths."
Okkervil River
Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya. They self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first...
, released on May 10, 2011. It was produced primarily in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Connecticut and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
by lead singer Will Sheff
Will Sheff
Will Sheff is the frontman for the Austin, Texas-based indie band Okkervil River . Originally from Meriden, New Hampshire, he is also a founding member and co-songwriter for Shearwater , another Austin band...
with John Congleton and Phil Palazzolo.
Recording and production
I Am Very Far marked a distinct break from the polished, hyper-literary folk-rock that Okkervil River had explored on their previous two albums The Stage NamesThe Stage Names
The Stage Names is the fourth full-length studio album by American indie rock band Okkervil River, released on August 7, 2007. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, with longtime Okkervil producer Brian Beattie, and with mixing from Spoon drummer and producer Jim Eno. Like other Okkervil River...
and The Stand Ins
The Stand Ins
The Stand Ins has received positive reviews. The album currently has a score of 78 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."...
. In the words of songwriter Will Sheff, "I found myself wanting to not be accessible and not be crowd pleasing and basically be self-pleasing and follow what I thought was really interesting." This is the first Okkervil River
Okkervil River
Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya. They self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first...
album that Sheff produced, following his production of Roky Erickson
Roky Erickson
Roky Erickson is an American singer, songwriter, harmonica player and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.-Biography:...
's 2010 album True Love Cast Out All Evil
True Love Cast Out All Evil
True Love Cast Out All Evil is the first album of new material released by Roky Erickson in 14 years. Okkervil River is the backing band on the album.-Track listing:#"Devotional Number One" - 2:17#"Ain't Blues Too Sad" - 1:24...
. From this experience, Sheff attests to gaining "a kind of chaotic, powerful energy that swirls around Roky that I started to feel infecting my own writing and my own sonic ideas and desires."
In studio, the band experimented with various recording methods in each session, including fastforwarding and rewinding a cassette tape and then doubling the noises on electric guitar, tearing off strips of duct tape for percussion, singing while strolling around the room, and hurling file-cabinets across the studio. Some songs had input from a vast number of session musicians playing in the same room ('Rider', 'We Need a Myth'), the latter of which opens with the strumming of 45 classical guitars.
Lyrically, I Am Very Far is also a sharp departure from their previous work. Whereas previous albums were often composed of highly literate takes on rock legends and tropes, this album's lyrics tend to portray dark and indistinct dreamscapes. Sheff explained that "interiority is a really important thing to me, and a lot of this record did come from a subconscious, unconscious place, and I wanted it to respond to that corresponding place in listeners... I wanted it to really feel like it was operating on a subterranean level."
Reception
I Am Very Far has received mostly positive reviews. On the review aggregate site MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the album has a score of 80 out of 100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
wrote "I Am Very Far is certainly a more enthralling listen than The Stand Ins
The Stand Ins
The Stand Ins has received positive reviews. The album currently has a score of 78 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."...
was; though it may lack some of the emotional impact of Down the River of Golden Dreams
Down the River of Golden Dreams
-External links:**...
, or especially Black Sheep Boy
Black Sheep Boy
Black Sheep Boy is Okkervil River's third album, released on April 5, 2005. The title is inspired by the song "Black Sheep Boy" by '60s folk singer, Tim Hardin, and the album, which is loosely based around Hardin's struggle with heroin addiction, opens with Okkervil River's cover of the song...
the album remains a welcomed addition into the work of a band who commands great quality-control." Jim Scott of Under the Radar
Under the Radar (magazine)
Under the Radar is an American magazine that bills itself as "The solution to music pollution" and features interviews with accompanying photo-shoots. Each issue includes opinion and commentary of the Indie music scene as well as reviews on books, DVDs and albums.Items are reviewed based on a...
called the album "...one of the best records of the year," writing "I Am Very Far makes a strong case for Sheff to be considered one of the very best writers in music today." Scott concluded: "...looking at this stretch of recordings with such a finite lens is doing them a disservice: this is music to cherish forever." Some reviewers praised the band for pursuing a new sound on the album, with Erik Adams of The A.V Club writing "It’s no longer the Okkervil River of The Stage Names
The Stage Names
The Stage Names is the fourth full-length studio album by American indie rock band Okkervil River, released on August 7, 2007. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, with longtime Okkervil producer Brian Beattie, and with mixing from Spoon drummer and producer Jim Eno. Like other Okkervil River...
or Black Sheep Boy
Black Sheep Boy
Black Sheep Boy is Okkervil River's third album, released on April 5, 2005. The title is inspired by the song "Black Sheep Boy" by '60s folk singer, Tim Hardin, and the album, which is loosely based around Hardin's struggle with heroin addiction, opens with Okkervil River's cover of the song...
, and that’s a plus: I Am Very Far signals that the band’s gifts with song and sentiment were never tied to specificity." Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Jaymie Baxley also gave the album a positive review, writing "Fans who approach I Am Very Far carrying expectations informed by the group's earlier releases will no doubt find this to be Okkervil River's most challenging work to date, but it's also the group's most grandiose, thrilling, and brilliant."
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
, on the other hand, was less receptive to the band's new sound, writing "But rather than serve as a radical departure for Okkervil River, I Am Very Far treads familiar ground with a superficial extroversion that can't match the emotional particularity of the rest of the band's back catalog." In another mixed review, Philip Cosores of One Thirty BPM
One Thirty BPM
One Thirty BPM is a New York-based online publication providing reviews, news, media, interviews, features, and more from both the independent and mainstream spheres of the music world...
called the I Am Very Far Okkervil River's "...weakest album to date." Cosores continued: "I Am Very Far is often a noisy album, seeming experimental, but ultimately just poorly edited, with the songs overly busy and taking the focus away from the songwriting and lyrics that are Sheff’s strengths."
Track listing
Okkervil River
- Will Sheff - Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Cassette Deck, Glockenspiel, Electric Guitar (6), Additional Electric Guitar (3,4,6,9,11), Piano (1), Additional Drums (1), Sampler (1,4,5,9), File Cabinet
- Scott Brackett - Cornet, Juno Synthesizer, Manipulated Samples, Vibraphone, Second Piano (3,6,10,11)
- Brian Cassidy - Vocals, Second Electric Guitar (2,3,9,10), Fourth Acoustic Guitar (6), String Arrangements
- Lauren Gurgiolo - Electric Guitars, Third Acoustic Guitar (6)
- Jonathan Meiburg - Vocals, Angklung
- Patrick Pestorius - Vocals, Bass
- Justin Sherburn - Piano, Pump Organ, Farfisa, Rhodes and Helpinstill Electric Piano, Accordion, Arp Synthesizer, Second Electric Guitar (8), Horn Arrangements
- Cully Symington - Drums, Percussion
Guests
- Joy Askew - Vocals (3,7,11)
- Nicole Atkins - Vocals (3,7,11)
- Stephen Belans - Tympani, Second Drum Kit (3,6,10)
- Mike Booher - Vocals (9)
- William Braun - Cello
- Alexis Buffum - Violin
- Audrey Easley - Flute
- Jeanene Ioppolo Johnson - Clarinet
- Jeff Johnston - Second Acoustic Guitar (3,6,10)
- Ben Kalb - Cello (3,9)
- Paul Klemperer - Saxophone, Clarinet (2)
- Justin Kurys - Viola
- Sharon Lacey - Oboe
- Ben Lance - Third Electric Guitar (3,10), Fifth Acoustic Guitar (6)
- Will Landin - Tuba
- Ephraim Owens - Trumpet
- Phil Palazzolo - Duct Tape, Whistling, Additional Electric Guitar (5), Additional Piano (5), Sampler (10)
- Sarah Pizzichemi - Violin
- Brendan Ryan - Piano (5,11), Accordion (5)
- Sara Scurry - Bassoon
- Zachary Thomas - Second Bass (3,6,10)
- Raul Vallejo - Trombone
- Beth Wawerna - Vocals (3,4,7,11)
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
5 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
32 |
| Norway VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
23 |
| Sweden Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
51 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
66 |
External links
- Official website
- Interview with Will Sheff by Spin Magazine
- Interview with Will Sheff by Drowned in Sound