Okkervil River's forthcoming fifth album, The Stage Names, will probably be a divisive record. Fans of the melodrama of Black Sheep Boy (2005) may be underwhelmed, while listeners from back in the Don't Fall in Love. (2002) and Down the River of Golden Dreams (2003) days might be put off by the sheen and polish. Then again, Will Sheff has a way of connecting with his fans, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and figure he knows what he's doing.

Still, "Plus Ones" makes me wonder. Sheff's lyrics consist of a series of plays on famous lyrics from Paul Simon, ? & the Mysterians, the Commodores, R.E.M., and the Zombies, among others. It's like something the Hold Steady might do without all the sneering. Anything that makes this many pop culture references is going to come off as either jokey or too clever. Sheff has made his name on emotional honesty, not cleverness or humor. In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Scheff said of "Plus Ones," "I love it, but it was kind of my attempt to write a novelty song, in some ways -- a kind of punning, silly thing -- but in the end, to bring it around and have it have a serious theme. That's one of my favorite songs on the record, but some people, like the producer of our record [Brian Beattie], hate that song." Mr. Beattie might be on to something here.

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