''Black Sheep Boy'' is the third studio album by American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band

Okkervil River Okkervil River is an American rock band led by singer-songwriter Will Sheff. Formed in Austin, Texas, in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya set on the river Okkervil in Saint Petersburg. They bega ...

, released on April 5, 2005. The title is inspired by the song "Black Sheep Boy" by 1960s

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

singer

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk and blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including " If I Were a Carpenter" and "Reason to Believe", becam ...

. The album deals with Hardin's struggle with heroin addiction and Okkervil River lead singer

Will Sheff Will Sheff (born July 7, 1976) is the frontman for the Austin, Texas-based indie band Okkervil River (1998–present). Originally from Meriden, New Hampshire, he is also a founding member and co-songwriter (along with former Okkervil bandmate Jo ...

's failed relationships and heartbreaks. The

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features the work of

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

artist

William Schaff William J. Schaff Jr. is an artist and musician based in Warren, Rhode Island and Oakland, California. He is known for artwork for the bands Okkervil River, Songs: Ohia, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. "An electric ...

Background

Most of the songs for the record were written in February 2004 in

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside ...

by Will Sheff. Sheff describes the album's theme in a 2005 interview: :"The Black Sheep Boy is a fantastical character that crops up here and there on the album. In the lyrics pretty much anything in quotes is the voice of the Black Sheep Boy. I think a lot of the dirtier, rougher, more obtuse songs are the product of the Black Sheep Boy." The writing of the album took place during a difficult time for the band. The relative lack of commercial success of their previous albums meant that the band's future was in doubt and Sheff was rendered homeless in order to make ends meet and afford the costs related to the band's commitments.

Reception

''Black Sheep Boy'' has received general acclaim. On the review aggregate site

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, the album has a score of 86 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". The album was ranked number 22 on

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's Top 50 Albums of 2005 list. The music

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'' placed ''Black Sheep Boy'' at number 174 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.

Track listing

Musicians

* Will Sheff – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, wurlitzer * Howard Draper – lap steel, pump organ, mandolin, bass, synthesizer * Jonathan Meiburg – vocals, piano, wurlitzer, pump organ, Casio SK-1, electric guitar * Travis Nelsen – vocals, drums, tambourine * Zachary Thomas – vocals, bass, mandolin * Seth Warren – electronics, drums, vibraphone, whirlies, shaker * Amy Annelle – harmony vocals * Brian Beattie – bowed bass, sampler, field recordings * Rebecca Browne – violin * Alison Derrick – viola * Michael Kapinus – trumpet * Caroline Slack – violin * Ben Westney – cello * Victoria Wolff – cello

References

{{Authority control 2005 albums Okkervil River albums Jagjaguwar albums

Background

Reception

Track listing

Musicians

See also

References