The Guardian
This short review is worth reading. Although the British newspaper gives The Stand Ins four stars, there is no mollycoddling of the band here. October 10, 2008.
Coke Machine Glow
Hoping to avoid the hate mail this time, the reviewer states that the "small changes, tweaks and shifts and nudges" from The Stages Names makes The Stand Ins a stellar record. September 19, 2008.
The New York Sun
It seems the reviewer, against his own will, is one of the "ever-growing mass of minions." September 9, 2008.
The New York Times
Kelefa Sanneh, one of Okkervil River's earliest champions, may have left the Times, but John Pareles is more than ready to step in. September 8, 2008.
Pitchfork
Making great pop music by deconstructing pop music sounds about right. September 8, 2008.
Austin360
"Has any other Austin band created such an extremely high level of recorded music in such a short time? No." We couldn't agree more. September 8, 2008.
Wireless Bollinger
The same can't be said for the characters in Will's songs, but this reviewer finds The Stand Ins to be a great journey. September 8, 2008.
PopMatters
Okkervil River's songs are sad stories full of characters who are
heart-wrenching train wrecks. Why do we keep coming back for more? For, the
literary run-on sentences, of course!. September 8, 2008.
Venus Zine
"[T]he disorderly outro proves that Okkervil River has the energy and desire to keep on rocking for yet another day." And aren't we all lucky for that! September 2, 2008.
The Boston Phoenix
The Phoenix couldn't hate this album much more than they do. I don't think I've ever heard anyone accuse Sheff of "poor intelligence" before. September 2, 2008.
SF Weekly
I'd call The Stage Names transcendent too. Of course, I'd probably come off sounding precious or pretentious. September 2007.
Harp
"Poetic tour-de-force" is right! September/October 2007.
Spiegel Online
A rather uninformed review, but it's on a major German news outlet! Here's an accurate English translation. September 4, 2007.
live Daily
Okkervil River makes us all want to believe! August 31, 2007.
The Daily Page
Since when is R & B surprising? This Madison rag gives props to Travis, though. August 24, 2007.
Austin Sound
Disillusionment sounds best at the point where fictions crumble. August 24, 2007.
San Diego CityBEAT
So what if he misspells Will's name and thinks The Stage Names is a sophomore release? He gives it just a fraction less than 9 out of 10! August 22, 2007.
Glide Magazine
A "feel good freak-folk caravan" gets four out of five stars. August 22, 2007.
Crawdaddy
When
Crawdaddy calls your record, "pretty fucking phenomenal," it's pretty fucking phenomenal! August 15, 2007.
Slant
Three and a half of five for a smart, but not exactly brilliant, review. August 13, 2007.
AZ Central
Someone finally mentions the Duchamp reference. However, I'm not sure that the words erudition and bopping should be used to describe The Stage Names in the same article... August 12, 2007.
The Houston Chronicle
Sheff’s cinematic and dreamy songwriting earns four out of four stars. August 10, 2007.
Austinist
Eye infections, unstoppable mold and a codicil on the cover art. I think he likes it! August 9, 2007.
It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans
The Stage Names commandeers another CD player. August 8, 2007.
Treble
The Stage Names gets muddled with Billy Joel and James Lipton, measured against Johnny Marr and The Band, and still manages to become the soundtrack of our lives. August 6, 2007.
Stylus
Is it right to equate sounding more professional with "getting good?" Maybe that doesn't matter, because B is still above average. August 6, 2007.
The Stranger
The verbiage has always been this dense. Apparently, so has this reviewer. August 1, 2007.
Contact Music
A Concept within a concept (and a review within parentheses). 7/10. August 2007.
TEN Music Magazine
Download a pdf of a beautiful magazine including an in-depth review detailing how Okkervil River has hit the mark with The Stage Names. July/August 2007.
Filter
Ninety percent wildly alive and majestic, this reviewer compares The Stage Names favorably to the loneliness and adventure of a never-ending road trip. July 24, 2007.
Paste
This review calls Okkervil River a clearinghouse of contemporary indie-rock tendencies, but still gives The Stage Names three and a half stars. August 15, 2007.
PopMatters
Well executed, for a 7 out of 10. May 2007.
Insound
This review calls “The President’s Dead” Okkervil River’s most accessible and most contentious song, and finds “The Room I’m Hiding In” sequestered on side B. December 2006.
Pitchfork
This extensive review doesn’t envy Will Sheff’s ability to imbue his characters with such misery, nor his preference to chronicle the memories of events rather than the events themselves. It does marvel at Okkervil River’s knack for poignant revelation. October 6, 2006.
Skatterbrain
More of an overview than a review, this nevertheless gives enthusiastic praise to the live version of “Westfall.” October 9, 2006.
Rolling Stone
A bit off on the details (likely thanks to out of date bios), this review encourages neophytes to listen and acolytes to rejoice. 3.5 stars. January 12, 2006.
Prefix
Were these tracks afterthoughts? Were they redundant? Whatever they were, they are an enhancement of the Black Sheep Boy experience. 8/10. January 3, 2006.
Punk News
An undeniable call to action that says, “You must own this album!” December 20, 2005.
Pitchfork
Cleverly written in the form of an appendix, this wonders whether the band has achieved victory or conceded defeat. December 14, 2005.
Junk Media
Stronger, more adventurous, better than Black Sheep Boy. Confident opinions and a Robert Smith reference! November 29, 2005.
Pitchfork
This writer decides Will has gone mad, to the detriment of his voice, but still to delightful result. April 15, 2005.
Stylus
Not “storytelling,” more than poetry, it is the complexity of Will’s lyrics, and the dramatic passion of the band’s music, that has pushed this writer to a place beyond praise. April 10, 2005.
Pop Matters
Name checking The Shins and Radiohead, this review suggests Black Sheep Boy is the best album of 2005. Who can disagree? April 8, 2005.
No Ripcord
Terribly snarky and in need of a proof reader, this review seems to miss the point, but still gives 7 out of 10. April 7, 2005.
Tiny Tapes.com
More about how Okkervil River is poppier and more guitar-driven than contemporaries, this review nevertheless lauds of Black Sheep Boy on all counts. 2005.
Pitchfork
Synonyms for slumber may cause drowsiness. November 17, 2004
Erasing Clouds
Dreamy, descriptive deference. December 2004.
PopMatters
An ode to Will Sheff, and a damn good one. January 20, 2005.
Dusted
A band in between, it seems. May 15, 2005.
Fake Jazz.com
This split EP may be strange, but it’s not disparate, according to this reviewer, who pronounces it “Great stuff!” Sometimes simple is best. October 24, 2003.
Neumu
Tender voices, profound lyrics and a common mournfulness tie this together. And then there’s murder… 2003
The Austin Chronicle
More of a blurb than a review, this nevertheless describes the EP well. June 13, 2003.
Hasharat
This release seems to have caught a lot of international attention. Here’s just one of many—this from Israel. 2003.
The Austin Chronicle
Acknowledges that Okkervil River are confident and riveting innovators. Four stars. September 12, 2003.
Pitchfork
Initially, the sincerity is suspected, but surrender is inevitable. December 10, 2003.
All Music Guide
Urgent and emotive, raw and honest and emotionally communicative, with some nice arrangements (meaning the album, of course!). 2003.
Space
City Rock
This reviewer highlights “The War Criminal Rises and Speaks” and “It End With a Fall,” and theorizes that Will’s lyrics must make sense to someone. 2004.
CMJ
Calls Okkervil River “goth-country,” but embraces the extremes in the album’s themes. 2003.
All Music Guide
Indicates that something grander this way comes. 2002.
Insound
High praise for lifting lyrics. 2002.
Space City Rock
An excellent meditation on the dangers implied in the album title. 2002.
Pitchfork
This writer takes Okkervil River on a trip! April 2, 2002.
The Austin Chronicle
Grave robbing with Princes and Swans. Three out of five small stars. December 3,1999.
Musikkguiden Groove
A Danish review gives four grooves. Also critiques Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See. March 6, 2003.