The Top 15 Songs of 2008: 1!

We’re finally here. No surprises at all to anyone with whom I’ve talked music this year…

1: OKKERVIL RIVER - LOST COASTLINES

I am so consumed with love for this song that I don’t really know what I can say. Of course, that has never stopped me from pontificating before, so let’s see what I can pull together.

Okkervil River burst on to the scene with 2005’s Black Sheep Boy, an album full of poetic lyrics, heartbreak, and obtuse symbolism inspired by a 1960’s folk song. Alternately catchy, moving, and intellectually engaging, Black Sheep Boy was beloved by critics and fans for the many different levels on which it could be enjoyed.

After the success of Black Sheep Boy, anticipation steadily built for the band’s next album, 2007’s The Stage Names. The album showed that Okkervil River had undergone significant creative evolution in their two years outside the limelight. Lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff was now writing songs with leaner, more effective lyrics, eschewing his previous tendency to favor poetry over comprehensibility. This may sound like a negative, but led to a very positive result. While Black Sheep Boy had been marked by somewhat muddled themes, The Stage Names was brilliantly cohesive, with song after song of excellent, incisive metaphor considering every aspect of the creation and consumption of art. Musically, though the band never shied too far from a pop/rock base, they were often fairly muted and had a penchant for ballads. The Stage Names took a dive right into the deep end of the rock pool. Even the ballads were more traditionally rock-influenced and the production had shifted towards crystal clear. The album was rightfully hailed as a leap forward for Okkervil River and a potential modern masterpiece.

That leads us to 2008, during which the band released a companion disc to The Stage Names, titled The Stand Ins. Essentially an abandoned second disc to The Stage Names, The Stand Ins continues the thematic exploration of art begun on the previous album. The album, though given positive lip service by critics, was also unjustly dismissed as a lesser album due to the perception that these songs weren’t good enough for The Stage Names. As is often the case, the reality of the situation is different than the perception. The reality of the situation is that The Stand-Ins is a match for its predecessor in nearly every respect. Paired together, these two albums are some of the most enjoyable music ever to be worthy of a senior thesis examining the import of the lyrics.

Additionally, The Stand Ins gave us “Lost Coastlines”, which is probably Okkervil River’s strongest single to date. Written as a goodbye to Jonathan Meiburg, longtime member of the band who was departing to focus on his side project, Shearwater, “Lost Coastlines” essentially closes the book on one era in Okkervil River’s history. Will Sheff is left to ask himself what comes next with Meiburg gone, how to navigate the unmapped lost coastlines that they’ll encounter without his presence.

Musically, I don’t even know how to categorize the song. The percussion feels like northern soul, the guitars sound like traditional rock, with a dash of rockabilly thrown in, and the horns…well, I don’t know where the horns come from. But, the essence of it is that it’s incredibly catchy. You’ll want to sing the “la la”s along with Sheff, to clap your hands with the tambourine, and maybe even to dance. It’s the most joyous uncertain goodbye you’ll ever hear. More importantly, it is unquestionably my favorite song of 2008. Have at it and enjoy!