Okkervil River The Stand Ins

3 stars out of 5 -- "'Lost Coastlines trips along on a sprightly Motown groove. 'Starry Stairs' is a Smiths ringer punched up with Stax/Volt horn charts."
4 stars out of 5 -- "THE STAND INS is packed with sprawling narratives and precarious guitars....Sheff makes even the most complicated sentiments feel like an invitation to raise your fist."
Ranked #19 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2008" -- "Will Sheff's alternately biting and weary stories of doubt and falsity resonate..."
"This Austin quintet follow 2007's THE STAGE NAMES with a second tour de force about the collateral damage of fame." -- Grade: A
4 stars out of 5 -- "Paired with electric guitar and Sheff's rich, smooth-yet-almost-breaking vocal delivery, 'Names' is textured and engaging."
"THE STAND INS leaves the door open to its roots, from now-former member Jonathan Meilburg's ringing banjo opening 'Lost Coastlines' to the appropriately HIGHWAY 61-leaning 'Singer Songwriter'..."
"STAND INS saunters ambitiously through the depths of the night amidst the clash of acoustic guitars and iconic cabaret Wurlitzer's
4 stars out of 5 -- "Lyrically, Sheff straddles the line between precious and brilliant, warbling twisty, appostive-packed tales about life on the road and crumbled relationships over cranked-up, vaguely folkish rock riffs."