Okkervil River @ Scala

Okkervil River @ Scala

21 July, 2008
by: Marcus

Its official, the balance of indie power has shifted from our shores. After years of self-congratulation brought on by The Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin et al, we are now trailing far behind our North American cousins. First Britpop, then the Libertines, now new rave; we’ve had our heads planted firmly in our own arses for far too long, and our international standing has suffered. Canada gives Arcade Fire to the world, and we proffer Coldplay...enough said.

Enter Okkervil River, a band from the world’s most fertile indie town (Austin, Texas) whose decade of toiling away at the lower end of the spectrum is finally reaching vindication. Their last London show at the Luminaire has gone down as something of a turning point in their career; a bona fide 'I was there' moment finally marking their graduation from small-time cult favourites to latent chart-bothering stars.

The Scala is certainly one step up, and the initial signs are good; sold out, a prevailing air of anticipation and the reassuring presence of the reptilian indie guru himself, Mr Steve Lamacq. From the off it is clear that they are handling the larger stage with ease and finesse. Will Sheff’s banter is kept to a minimum, though his vocals, often soaring and soothing in the course of a single line, maintain a connection to the crowd that mere mid-song frippery could never achieve.

The set draws heavily from most recent record 'The Stage Names', with the career-spanning closing trio of 'Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe', 'For Real' and 'Westfall' enough to suggest they are capable of great things. In the meantime there is plenty for the uninitiated to discover, while the rest of us can just enjoy the tingle of raised neck-hairs and wonder just how far they can go.

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Marcus