The Crane Wife
Capitol, 2006
rating: 5/5
reviewer: matty g

Seriously. This is getting fucking ridiculous. How can a band be this good? And not the kind of good where you hear a new song and post about it on your blog and everyone collectively shits themselves for a month and then moves on a few weeks later, but the kind of good where a band releases consistently fantastic and worthwhile and amazing music for four fucking years. What the fuck have The Arcade Fire been doing since 2004? Oh, they released a 7-inch with a song they already had recorded? Awesome. The Decemberists released two full-lengths and an EP that are just as good as anything on Funeral. Touring is no excuse either, Mr. Butler. The Decemberists are one of the most well-traveled acts out there, and I'm willing to bet the number of shows they've played is at least in the same ballpark as your lovable band of Canadian roustabouts.

I don't know why I'm picking on The Arcade Fire. I like them, and I loved Funeral, and it's not like The Decemberists have been toiling in obscurity for the past four years. On the contrary, they've gained a following that only increases with each new release. And rightfully so, because no matter how good their last album was, The Decemberists' track records proves that the next one is going to blow it away. And The Crane Wife is no exception; it's the band's most ambitious, mind-blowing, and best record yet.

I don't even know what to say about this record. Writing about music is kind of ridiculous anyway; you're taking something that's inherently subjective and contorting it so that it kind of, not really, actually doesn't fit into this nice, neat objective box. (And yes, I'm well aware of the irony of stating how pointless writing about music is in a record review, so save your e-mails.) It's not that "words don't do it justice" or some other bullshit cliché; it's the fact that if I were to write about the songs here, I'd probably have to use obtuse words that actually make no sense, and those don't help anybody. Go read Paste if that's what you're looking for.

The point is, The Crane Wife is God damn amazing. Have I used "amazing" too many times for you? Here's some more adjectives: astonishing, astounding, bewildering, breathtaking, extraordinary, impressive, magnificent, marvelous, remarkable, spectacular, staggering, stunning, stupendous, terrific, wonderful. That should cover it.

So what if some of the songs sound like Fleetwood Mac or Jethro Tull or Edgar Winter? Does anyone really give a shit if the band is "prog" or not now? Why the fuck does that matter anyway? All I know is that when it hits 8:26 during "The Landlord's Daughter," everything explodes and I lose my shit every time. Yes, Colin Meloy writes songs about soldiers and murderers and lovers. Yes, it is awesome that the band's major-label debut contains their two longest album cuts yet. Yes, it's also awesome that one of those songs is a suite based on a Japanese folk tune. You're going to hear all of that from the other blowhards writing reviews for this album, which you for some reason read instead of just listening to the record. It takes all the fun out of it. Who wants to read words about how music sounds or makes one person feel when you could just listen to it yourself? You should have stopped reading this a while ago. Make up your own damn mind.

If you want me to break it down, I will. The Crane Wife is one of the best records, if not the best, I've heard in at least the past year. It will probably hold the number one spot on my top-whatever year-end list, which I will still make even though organizing music into lists may actually be more pointless than writing about it. I honestly almost quit writing about music because of this record, but I'm just too much of a hypocrite to do it. Just do yourself a favor and listen to this album. Not because I told you to, or your favorite blogger told you to, or because some other bullshit website or magazine that pretends like their opinion actually matters told you to. Listen to it because you'll be supporting one of the hardest-working and most devoted bands out there today, and that's got to count for something.

1. The Crane Wife 3
2. The Island/Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel the Drowning
3. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
4. O Valencia!
5. The Perfect Crime #2
6. When the War Came
7. Shankill Butchers
8. Summersong
9. The Crane Wife 1 and 2
10. Sons and Daughters

Picaresque
Kill Rock Stars, 2005
rating: 5/5
reviewer: matty g


The Decemberists somehow just get better and better with every release. From 5 Songs to Castaways and Cutouts to Her Majesty, each record trumps the last one in terms of quality, scope, and praise. So when it came time to release their third full-length, Colin Meloy and company did exactly what everyone thought they'd do: released their best and most ambitious album to date.

Picaresque starts off with a bang, sending "The Infanta" running out of the gates with its fist in the air and a sneer on its face. Hot in its heels is "We Both Go Down Together," creating a one-two punch that knocks you out with two of the best songs The Decemberists have ever written. From here it's hard to imagine the record going anywhere but downhill, but Meloy and his lovable band of minstrels prove they can go the distance with songs like "The Sporting Life," "The Engine Driver," and "Of Angles and Angles."

With Picaresque, Meloy proves once again that he is one of modern music's best lyricists. The subject matter on Picaresque spans from the daughter of a Spanish king ("The Infanta") to maybe the best song about joint suicide ever written ("We Both Go Down Together") to international espionage ("The Bagman's Gambit"). When "The Mariner's Revenge Song," a sordid tale of, well, revenge, starts off, you don't expect it to last almost nine minutes; and when it's finished, it ranks as the most epic song The Decemberists have done yet. And that's saying something for a band that has tackled everything from prostitutes to soldiers.

Musically, The Decemberists take their sound to the next logical step by adding even more instruments than on previous releases. But rather than cluttering the music, it actually works out well. Really well. Petra Haden's violin is brought to the fore on "We Both Go Down Together" and carries the weight of its dark melody, and the backing horn section on the bizarre math lesson "Sixteen Military Wives" is fit for a soul king.

After every record The Decemberists release, I find myself wondering where they could possibly go from here, and Picaresque is no different. It's hard to imagine The Decemberists topping such a fantastic and ambitious record, but as their previous albums show, I'm sure they'll have no problem one-upping themselves again.

1. The Infanta
2. We Both Go Down Together
3. Eli, The Barrow Boy
4. The Sporting Life
5. The Bagman's Gambit
6. From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)
7. Sixteen Military Wives
8. The Engine Driver
9. On the Bus Mall
10. The Mariner's Revenge Song
11. Of Angels and Angles

The Tain EP
Acuarela, 2004
rating: 4.5/5
reviewer: matty g


The Decemberists are a machine. Since their inception only a few years ago, they've released two EPs, two full-lengths, and have toured almost non-stop. But the most amazing thing is how consistent they've stayed throughout. Not only have they stayed consistent, they've actually gotten better. In a world filled with three-year gaps between debut releases and the almost inevitable "sophomore slump," The Decemberists have found a way to tap into that elusive ability that allows a band to release something almost every year and have the results be incredible every time.

Which brings us to their new EP, The Tain. Based on the Celtic mythology cycle of the same name, the album consists of a sole 18 and a half-minute track titled "The Tain (Parts I, II, III, IV, V)." I've been wondering (and you probably have been, too) why they didn't just split it into five tracks and have them run together, but I get the feeling that this piece of music is intended to always be taken as a whole, and not whatever part you feel like listening to at the time. And after having listened to it, I am inclined to agree.

As far as an interpretation of the myths that it's based on, The Tain is fairly loose. Rather than just recount the story, The Decemberists have opted to adapt and twist it, an abstract retelling. Since The Decemberists stay away from using any specific names from the stories, it allows the lyrics to have a more universal appeal and be applied to things that are maybe more familiar to us, rather than just the myths they're based on.

The Tain finds The Decemberists in top form yet again, though they start to stray from the sound many fans know and love. The music on The Tain almost seems to be a throwback to 70s rockers like Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly, and maybe even just a smidgen of (dare I say it) Black Sabbath. That's not to say that Mr. Meloy and company have gone all prog on us, but the heavy hand of a genre that no one would even admit to liking a few years ago is definitely present. Is prog the new garage perhaps?

As dreadful as it may sound to some, The Decemberists pull off this new sound extraordinarily well. I even found myself in a significant head bob at parts. But don't worry, the more familiar elements of The Decemberists' sound are still around; they're just not as near to the spotlight as they used to be. They're content to hanging around in the background and stepping forward every now and then to switch things up a bit.

With plans to already start recording again this summer, The Decemberists show no signs of slowing down. There's no telling where they'll go from here, but I can only assume that they'll continue to top themselves, as unbelievable as that may sound.

1. The Tain (Parts I, II, III, IV, V)

Her Majesty The Decemberists
Kill Rock Stars, 2003
rating: 4.5/5
reviewer: wolfman


There is an indescribable feeling of self-gratification when you first listen to the Decemberists’ new album Her Majesty The Decemberists. Beyond the comparisons to many other famous indie folk tellers, Colin Meloy and his accompanied soldiers walk away from the blunt resemblance and similitude to distinguish themselves as an entirely new entity without a single change to their musical approach established on their buzz-worthy debut album Castaways & Cutouts that was released earlier this year.

Meloy lives up to the expectation that the debut album conveyed by chanting bold and more vivid stories that exemplifies his nurtured soul and complicated heart. His lyrical deliverance and intense vocal liberation are gently and successfully placed as the focal point of the entire album. “Los Angeles, I’m Yours” may be the most passionate and fanatical song to be released this year and exemplifies Meloy’s exuberant yet lethargic melodrama. And with the rich and textured musical organization, Her Majesty The Decemberists is a truly beautiful and mesmerizing release by a group that has established themselves as a single entity, a truly diverse and eclectic outfit of folk raconteur and war time aficionados.

In fact, the only negative remark that can be conjured about Her Majesty The Decemberists is its swift and prompt release only months after Castaways & Cutouts. For Meloy, the album signifies growth but perhaps this growth is too premature. To truly appreciate the direction that The Decemberists are embarking, you must start at the beginning and completely comprehend the musical derivatives of their debut full-length album. With this transition, Her Majesty The Decemberists becomes evidently clear and the musical experience can be attained more thoroughly and enjoyably.

Her Majesty The Decemberists is definitely another masterpiece from a group that will continue to swathe indie music supporters with their innovative and imaginative folk pop music.

1. Shanty for the Arethusa
2. Billy Liar
3. Los Angeles, I'm Yours
4. The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
5. The Bachelor and the Bride
6. Song for Myla Goldberg
7. The Soldiering Life
8. Red Right Ankle
9. I Was Meant for the Stage
10. As I Rise