"Black Sheep Boy" is Okkervil River's most ambitious and cinematic record yet, a love story and adult fable that evokes the mature songcraft of LEONARD COHEN's "New Skin For The Old Ceremony", the sopihistication of SCOTT WALKER's "Scott 4" , the shambling slow-motion bravado of NEIL YOUNG's "On The Beach", and the raw nerves and trick effects of BIG STAR's "Third/Sister Lovers". It is the band's most playful and confident record so far, delighting in linguistic games, scrapping all caution and reserve, revelling equally in sheer pop, lacerating rock and roll and straight up country-weepers. "Black Sheep Boy" introduces children's keyboards, digitally-manipulated field recordings and dirty splatters of distorted guitar into the more traditional folk palette of mandolin, pump organ, steel guitar, Wurlitzer, strings and horns.