Down The River Of Golden Dreams

by Okkervil River

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1.	Down The River Of Golden Dreams 01:15	buy track
2.	It Ends With A Fall 03:55	buy track
3.	For the Enemy 06:09	buy track
4.	Blanket and Crib 02:51	buy track
5.	The War Criminal Rises and Speaks 05:11	buy track
6.	The Velocity of Saul at the Time of his Conversion 04:24	buy track
7.	Dead Faces 02:36	buy track
8.	Maine Island Lovers 04:51	buy track
9.	Song About a Star 03:30	buy track
10.	Yellow 06:14	buy track
11.	Seas Too Far to Reach 05:01	buy track

about

Okkervil River's 'Down the River of Golden Dreams' takes the band's hallmarks - lush, eclectic orchestration that evokes chamber pop and soul, lapel-gripping emotional urgency, and the lyrical, direct songwriting of frontman Will Sheff - and expands and elevates them in service of a stunningly ambitious set of new songs.

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 stretches 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 could 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 Jacques 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.

Will Sheff, Zachary Thomas, and Seth Warren first met in the tiny town of Meriden, New Hampshire, (population 500), then relocated a few years later to Austin, Texas to dedicate themselves to playing music. They called the group they formed Okkervil River, after a short story by the Russian writer Tatyana Tolstaya. Keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg (also of Shearwater) joined the band during the sessions for their second full-length, 'Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See', a record which subsequently won the group a rabid fanbase (critical raves from the likes of Rolling Stone, MOJO, Alternative Press, and No Depression variously compared the band to Neutral Milk Hotel, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Tindersticks and Will Oldham). This, their third full-length album, was recorded in San Francisco, California, in early 2003 - at John Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studio - with engineer Scott Solter (The Mountain Goats, John Vanderslice, the Court and Spark, Tarentel) at the board.

credits

released September 2, 2003

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about

Okkervil River Austin, Texas

"The goal was to push my brain to places it didn't want to go. The idea was to not have any idea – to keep myself confused about what I was doing," frontman Will Sheff says about Okkervil River's newest album 'I Am Very Far’. It’s a startling break from the band’s previous work: terrifying and joyous, violent and serene, grotesque and romantic, it's a celebration of forces beyond our control. ... more

shows

May 29

Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre

Somerville, MA
May 30

Space Gallery

Portland, ME
Jun 1

Levon Helm Studios

Woodstock, NY
Jun 3

The Great Hall

Toronto, ON
Jun 4

El Club Detroit

Detroit, MI
Jun 7

The Ardmore Music Hall

Ardmore, PA
Jun 8

Union Stage

Washington, DC
Jun 9

Bowery Ballroom

New York (NYC), NY
Jun 21

Tractor Tavern

Seattle, WA
Jun 24

The Chapel

San Francisco, CA
Jun 25

The Chapel

San Francisco, CA
Jun 26

Pico Union Project

Los Angeles (LA), CA
Jun 27

Pico Union Project

Los Angeles (LA), CA

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