The new Okkervil River album, “The Stage Names”, is available on their MySpace page. The latest from the Austin-based band (although originally from New Hampshire)</a> has been getting positive reviews. At their best on tracks like “Our Life is Not a Movie Or Maybe” or “Plus Ones” everything leans forward so far to be pleasantly off-balance. Will Sherff’s great lyrics are dense enough to sink in mercury. The album is more solid than last year’s “Overboard & Down” EP, which featured the stand out “The President’s Dead”.

Okkervil River plays the MidEast on Sept. 25th with the great-at-times Damien Jurado (tickets).