Julie Doiron/Okkervil River - split album
(Acuarela)
Julie Doiron possesses a simplicity to her approach that could easily be misconstrued, but if you've followed her from Eric's Trip to her earlier Broken Girl days, you'd recognize her genius. There is something so earnest in the five tracks here; they capture your attention and hold it. Although these tracks could easily be written off as tapping into the raw tortured insanity of Chan Marshall, that would be a mistake. Doiron's songs aren't unfortunate tales. They're moving love songs and poignant moments of loss or doubt, although the tenth track—which isn't acknowledged on the track listing—is unnecessary.
The segue from the sparseness of Doiron and her guitar to the band Okkervil River works fairly well. "He Passes Number Thirty-Three" builds to a full band slowly and with mounting passion. The bass goes wild and the vocals crack with shouting and then they pull it all back in under rein. The next song, an American traditional, "Omie Wise," begins with a quiet banjo and soulful vocals. It also builds, only this time into a full-blown Appalachian death song about how John Lewis murdered Omie Wise. Great stuff.
The pairing of Okkervil River with Julie Doiron is strange but not disparate. Even though they apparently hail from New Hampshire originally, Doiron is of that insular Canadian Atlantic Provinces clan. This album took awhile to appreciate, but it is easily worth the effort.
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