Black Sheep Boy

Black Sheep Boy
Cover Art by William Schaff
Studio album by Okkervil River
Released	April 5, 2005
Recorded	2005
Genre	Indie rock
Length	47:18
Label	Jagjaguwar
Producer	Okkervil River
Okkervil River chronology
Sleep and Wake-Up Songs (2004) Black Sheep Boy (2005) Black Sheep Boy Appendix (2005)

Black Sheep Boy is Okkervil River's third album, released on April 5, 2005. The title is inspired by the song "Black Sheep Boy" by '60s folk singer, Tim Hardin, and the album, which is loosely based around Hardin's struggle with heroin addiction, opens with Okkervil River's cover of the song. The album cover features the work of Providence artist William Schaff.

Background

Most of the songs for the new record were written in February 2004 in Bloomington, Indiana by Will Sheff. Sheff describes the album theme in a 2005 interview.

"The Black Sheep Boy is a fantastical character that crops up here and there on the album. In the lyrics pretty much anything in quotes is the voice of the Black Sheep Boy. I think a lot of the dirtier, rougher, more obtuse songs are the product of the Black Sheep Boy."

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Black Sheep Boy"	Tim Hardin	1:18
2.	"For Real"	Will Sheff	4:42
3.	"In a Radio Song"	Will Sheff	5:39
4.	"Black"	Will Sheff	4:39
5.	"Get Big"	Will Sheff	3:55
6.	"A King and a Queen"	Will Sheff	3:22
7.	"A Stone"	Will Sheff	5:23
8.	"The Latest Toughs"	Will Sheff	3:11
9.	"Song of Our So-Called Friend"	Will Sheff	3:23
10.	"So Come Back, I Am Waiting"	Will Sheff	8:03
11.	"A Glow"	Will Sheff	3:43

Musicians

• Will Sheff - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Wurlitzer
• Howard Draper - Lap Steel, Pump Organ, Mandolin, Bass, Synthesizer
• Jonathan Meiburg - Vocals, Piano, Wurlitzer, Pump Organ, Casio SK-1, Electric Guitar
• Travis Nelsen - Vocals, Drums, Tambourine
• Zachary Thomas - Vocals, Bass, Mandolin
• Seth Warren - Electronics, Drums, Vibraphone, Whirlies, Shaker
• Amy Annelle - Harmony Vocals
• Brian Beattie - Bowed Bass, Sampler, Field Recordings
• Rebecca Browne - Violin
• Alison Derrick - Viola
• Michael Kapinus - Trumpet
• Caroline Slack - Violin
• Ben Westney - Cello
• Victoria Wolff - Cello

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
PopMatters	(9/10) link
Pitchfork Media	(8.5/10) link
Stylus Magazine	(A) link
Tiny Mix Tapes	link
Austin Chronicle	link

Black Sheep Boy has received very positive reviews. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 86 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim."

The album was ranked #22 on Amazon.com’s Top 50 Albums of 2005 list. The music online magazine Pitchfork Media placed Black Sheep Boy at number 174 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.