Okkervil River – “Call Yourself Renee” (Singles Going Steady)

Andrew Paschal: The vocals here sit in an uncomfortable liminal space between singing and spoken word, taking on a rueful and bittersweet approach to storytelling. When I saw that the song is seven minutes long I settled in for an epic, but before I knew it, “Call Yourself Renee” was wrapping up and I realized I’d been staring out the window the whole time. Personally, I didn’t find this to be an absorbing tale in its own right, but it proved a solid vehicle for my own personal daydreams. [6/10]

Adriane Pontecorvo: A pretty song that runs about four minutes too long, “Call Yourself Renee” tells the story of a couple of young people who want something more out of life. That’s easy enough for your average white millennial to relate to for a few minutes, but few songs need to be seven minutes of solid lyrics that no one can dance to, and even if anyone does want to attempt a slow, intimate forest sway to this song, it’s going to get awkward by minute four. The keys and strings may make for a beautiful autumn landscape, but enough is enough. [4/10]

Scott Zuppardo: I’m quite certain there’s not a bad release from Will Sheff and company. The strings are contemptuous and sporadic, highlighting the various horns, percussive items, and the rest of the bitches brew of sonic layers to batter Sheff’s lyrics into one delicious morsel. A fantastic video, to boot… [9/10]

SCORE: 6.33