For more than a quarter century, Will Sheff has been the frontman of the ultra-literate indie rock band Okkervil River. But Okkervil River haven't been active for years. In 2022, Sheff released is first-ever solo album Nothing Special, and we ran a whole feature about it. Right now, Sheff is out on tour as the New Pornographers' opening act, and he's announcing another solo LP.
Sheff's new album is called Extra Mile, and it's coming out this summer. On social media, Sheff writes that it "picks up on the high plains where Nothing Special ended then launches into space." He claims that his new record is "one of the most musically playful things I’ve done." First single "Funny Feeling" is a six-minute smooth-pop fantasia that reminds me of 10cc, so I guess that's what he means. Sheff calls it "a kind of space-mountain rollercoaster tour through what it means to be a soul born into a body." Hear it below.
Extra Mile is out 7/10.
