Posted by Jason Diamond

About once a week, I find myself in a bookstore, looking at something and saying to myself, “Thank GOD Will Sheff has finally wised up and written a book.”  Then I realize it says Will Self, not Will Sheff. 

I can live with the fact the Sheff might not ever put out a book, since all of his songs are all beautiful little short stories anyway.  He’s written one about John Berryman, and referenced Poe and Artaud in the same line.  It’s things like that which lead me to believe that he might be the most literary songwriter around (Yes, more than John Darnielle, Stuart Murdoch, Dan Bejar and Colin Meloy).

Sheff is gearing up to put out another Okkervil River record in May.  There is a new song on Pitchfork today that won’t be appearing on that album, and it deserves your attention.