Murder, addiction, suicide—Okkervil River have covered it all. Frontman Will Sheff crafts brutally honest tales that are delivered through impassioned vocals and the band's dynamic folk arrangements. After a pair of notable albums, Okkervil hit it big with 2005's Black Sheep Boy, a gloomy concept project that encapsulated Sheff's ambitions. Having turned to the perils of pop culture and celebrity for inspiration on 2007's The Stage Names and 2008's The Stand Ins, Okkervil have since veered from their folk roots to explore sounds like the blues and gospel.