favorite songs of 2008, #11 of 30: okkervil river's "lost coastlines"

To cap off nerd week, today I bring you "Lost Coastlines," which is my favorite song off of Okkervil River's The Stand Ins, the second half of last year's The Stage Names. And while it's true that this band appears to be full of some pretty cool guys, causing some to maybe take umbrage with me deeming them a nerd band, I would like to point out that they take their name from a Russian short story and Will Sheff, songwriter and front man, was an English major. And all English majors are nerds. It's a prerequisite to declaring your major. You can ask anyone.

But more to the point - one of the reasons I love Okkervil River is their literateness. Sheff is an incredibly skilled lyricist who knows better than most how to turn a phrase, creating songs that are cerebral while still capable of rocking out. Anyone who can do that has my attention. "Lost Coastlines" is an excellent example of them at their best, and a very fine pop song when all's said and done. But don't take my word for it. Please, judge for yourself...