More than 20 years into his career, Will Sheff—sole proprietor of shape-shifting indie-rock storytellers Okkervil River—continues to reinvent himself. Pivoting from 2016’s elegiac Away (released after the death of Sheff’s grandfather and exodus of much of his band), In the Rainbow Rain is a rigorously uplifting album, flecked with gospel (“The Dream and the Light”), psych-pop (“Pulled Up the Ribbon”), and ’70s-style country (“Don’t Move Back to L.A.”), capped by the Lennonesque release of “Human Being Song.” As colorful as the arrangements are—a swirl of synths, drum machines, and phased guitars—it’s Sheff’s writing that anchors the album, rich with images of youth, religiosity, and old-fashioned human resilience.