I’ve reviewed not one but two Okkervil River albums here, and at least one version of Beowulf, so maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise, but I think my favorite song released in 2011 was “Lay of the Last Survivor”, off of I Am Very Far. I am 99.9% sure that it’s telling the story of the passage of the same name from Beowulf, or at least part of the story… or really more a vignette from the point of view of the people involved.
Anyway, pending some mooted and sinister legislation, you can find it here:
“Lay of the Last Survivor” | Okkervil River | I Am Very Far”
My favorite song of 2011