Okkervil River + Matthew E. White

On Okkervil River's latest release,The Silver Gymnasium, frontman Will Sheff sings nostalgic songs about his hometown of Meriden, New Hampshire, circa 1986. Its fitting subject matter for the singer's verbose anthems, packed with period-specific references that evoke the days of cassette tapes and G.I. Joe action figures. It's a bit more light-hearted than the band's past work, but that might have something to do with the group's new label (Dave Matthews' ATO Records) and the resulting pressure to appeal to a wider audience.