Both sides of Okkervil River

Starting with 2003’s Down the River of Golden Dreams, Okkervil River became a Band to Watch based on its intricate and literary songs. Last year’s The Stage Names continued a string of generally excellent albums over the last five years, earning them the mantle "Rock Stars" (the group was name checked by Lou Reed early this year prior to SxSW) -- though Will Sheff has grown into a somewhat overly dramatic frontman for me. But the band’s strong point is its songs, as always.

New songs like “Pop Lie” and "On Tour With Zykos" are propulsive gems with all the energy and angsty delivery one has come to expect. So here are Pro/Con views of the new album The Stand Ins, out today:

PRO/CON

Okkervil River goes on tour with Zykos in about one week, returning to Austin to play the ACL Fest at 5:30 pm Sunday (Sept. 28).