?13 Or So People Who Need Chances?, Vollmar?s 2004 release, was a mini-masterpiece of the blend of harmony-rich songs with a perverse experimental streak that would make John Cale proud. ?Okay? continues the mix, and takes even more risks, dividing the 10 songs into three thematic sections focusing on regret, stasis, and action. The risk is of course pretension, but Justin Vollmar, with his band, are beyond pretension here and willing to take the chance in order to bring further weight to these great songs.

The strongest and most raw of the songs concern the mysterious ?Sue?, who figures in the most poignant tracks, particularly ?Bus Stop Sue,? ?The Girl From Here to There,? ?Jealous of Sue? and ?Sorry Sue.? Here the muse of the songs is both a fantasy and painful reality, who has given and taken, and left the singer floating in the aftermath of several heavy emotions. None of the other sections really hold the power of this suite, except the astounding finale, ?Mtn. Problem/Insert? which is both gorgeous and harrowing at once. Vollmar has delivered a beast, part ?Plastic Ono Band?, part ?Smile?, that is challenging, emotionally and musically generous and powerful. It is getting to the point where no one sounds like him/them, and we are better for it.--- 9/10 -- Mike Wood (11 September, 2006)