I’ve long been on the fence about Okkervil River — they’ve always been one of the bands that even though all the signs point to they being a band I would enjoy, their music has failed to really blow me away, perhaps with the exception of the song “For Real” off their previous album, Black Sheep Boy. It’s always seemed a little too literal and contrived — throw emo plaintiveness into a goulash of Bonnie Prince Billie-isms and Harry Smith Anthology gestures — but I’ve always found the hint of something compelling, if not necessarily satisfying, about their output.

With all of those caveats, there’s a lot to like in what I’ve heard off the band’s new album, The Stage Names. It feels more streamlined and concise, with the band dropping some of the pretenses and not overreaching as much, instead focusing on its strengths. Lead song “Our Life Is Not A Movie or Maybe” comes right out of the gate, and other tracks are very promising.

Band page | Buy the album at Insound