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beautifulduckweedI have to admire the sheer ballsiness of The Decemberists: for their major label debut (they left Kill Rock Stars for Capitol Records), they've released their least accessible album yet. There's nothing here with the immediate catchiness of "Sixteen Military Wives" or "The Sporting Life," and nothing with the nudge-nudge-wink-wink wackiness of "A Cautionary Song." That's not to say that the songs in The Crane Wife aren't excellent or catchy. They are. I promptly fell in love with "Yankee Bayonet," the third track on the album, and it has reassured me that it loves me right back, baby, because it's that good. But this album just didn't immediately grab me in quite the way their previous works did.
Those of you who love The Decemberists for their quirks will probably enjoy the hell out of this album, because those quirks are writ large. Pumped up on steroids, even. Do we have ballads about doomed lovers sung in oddly chirpy tones? Check. Check. Check. Complicated rhyme schemes? Check. Hyperliterate lyrics? Oh my stars and garters, check. Archaic turns of phrase? Indeed, I will be so bold as to make my mark next to this item. Long, unwieldy, epic songs? Check. *twenty minutes and 3 organ solos later* And check.
And it's that last that amuses me most, because if memory serves me correctly, there are at least two songs over 10 minutes long on this album. Oh yes, The Decemberists have ventured into the terrifying territory of prog rock, and they toss you willy-nilly into the woods right on track 2. No easing you in with short, bouncy snippets, no lulling you before hitting you with the righteous hammer of ridiculously complicated music. That's for pussies. But it's all good, darlin', allll good.
No, seriously. "The Island: Come & See/The Landlord’s Daughter/You’ll Not Feel The Drowning" (I see they've taken a page from the Sufjan Stevens Song Naming Scheme instruction manual) is all sorts of crazy excellence. It's as if Colin Meloy sat down one day and said "You know what's been missing from that modern rock music what kids listen to nowadays? Crazy organ solos that duel it out, arpeggio-stylee, with a guitar. And 12-minute songs split into three distinctive movements, complete with tempo and key changes, about a homicidal rapist." And if mine ears do not deceive me, was that a motherfucking 6/8 time signature in the allegro portion of "The Island"? It might not be, because it's been ten years since I've engaged in any serious musical pursuits, but it makes me happy to think there was, so leave me with my happy illusions, damn you.
The only song that comes close to striking a false note is the rather dreary "When the War Came." I'm not sure I've given it a fair shake, and my mind may yet change, but as of time of writing, I find it kind of boring.
That small blemish aside, The Crane Wife is pretty much note-perfect; if you were worried that moving to a major label indicated a shift into blander, more mainstream sensibilities, well, lay your worries to rest. Many fans are murmuring how this may very well be their best album to date. I'm not quite convinced, because it's pretty damn hard to beat Picaresque and Castaways and Cutouts, but it's early days, and I'll need to listen to this a whole lot more to see if it has the same staying power their other albums have had.
Those of you who love The Decemberists for their quirks will probably enjoy the hell out of this album, because those quirks are writ large. Pumped up on steroids, even. Do we have ballads about doomed lovers sung in oddly chirpy tones? Check. Check. Check. Complicated rhyme schemes? Check. Hyperliterate lyrics? Oh my stars and garters, check. Archaic turns of phrase? Indeed, I will be so bold as to make my mark next to this item. Long, unwieldy, epic songs? Check. *twenty minutes and 3 organ solos later* And check.
And it's that last that amuses me most, because if memory serves me correctly, there are at least two songs over 10 minutes long on this album. Oh yes, The Decemberists have ventured into the terrifying territory of prog rock, and they toss you willy-nilly into the woods right on track 2. No easing you in with short, bouncy snippets, no lulling you before hitting you with the righteous hammer of ridiculously complicated music. That's for pussies. But it's all good, darlin', allll good.
No, seriously. "The Island: Come & See/The Landlord’s Daughter/You’ll Not Feel The Drowning" (I see they've taken a page from the Sufjan Stevens Song Naming Scheme instruction manual) is all sorts of crazy excellence. It's as if Colin Meloy sat down one day and said "You know what's been missing from that modern rock music what kids listen to nowadays? Crazy organ solos that duel it out, arpeggio-stylee, with a guitar. And 12-minute songs split into three distinctive movements, complete with tempo and key changes, about a homicidal rapist." And if mine ears do not deceive me, was that a motherfucking 6/8 time signature in the allegro portion of "The Island"? It might not be, because it's been ten years since I've engaged in any serious musical pursuits, but it makes me happy to think there was, so leave me with my happy illusions, damn you.
The only song that comes close to striking a false note is the rather dreary "When the War Came." I'm not sure I've given it a fair shake, and my mind may yet change, but as of time of writing, I find it kind of boring.
That small blemish aside, The Crane Wife is pretty much note-perfect; if you were worried that moving to a major label indicated a shift into blander, more mainstream sensibilities, well, lay your worries to rest. Many fans are murmuring how this may very well be their best album to date. I'm not quite convinced, because it's pretty damn hard to beat Picaresque and Castaways and Cutouts, but it's early days, and I'll need to listen to this a whole lot more to see if it has the same staying power their other albums have had.
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-13 02:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-13 09:16 pm (UTC)Do let me know what you think.
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Date: 2006-10-13 01:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-13 09:18 pm (UTC)You can thank me and my trenchant observations later. I'll be waiting.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-14 12:41 am (UTC)Holy SHIT track two just launched into the heavy-duty organ stuff and I FUCKING LOVE IT. I've got chills. Srsly.
Anyway, my third Crusie - your beloved Anyone But You is on its way to me right now, so we'll just see about these pronouncements of yours.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-14 12:46 am (UTC)Also, Fred is Yet Another Goddamn Crusie Dog, but he's not neurotic and shivery and abused so much as lumpy and hilarious and depressed. Also also, gotta love a romance novel that makes MST3K references. Also also also, Anyone But You would be your FOURTH Crusie novel, you heathen. *sniffs*