Congratulations to them for singing with Capitol Records over the weekend, they deserve it. "I have no idea! (what Capitol wants out of us) That's what's so winsome about them. Capitol bent over backwards for us, even knowing the kind of band that we are. We're not Franz Ferdinand. We're not making new wave Gang of Four music. We're kind of the opposite of that. We have this penchant for moldy, dusty 60s British folk music and songs about chimney sweeps." He added, "The contract that we have with Capitol is peppered with the words 'band approval'. It's really as good a contract as we could hope for. If they do have a nefarious agenda, it's completely hidden on me."

Average Metacritic score 80 (32 reviews):

http://www.cokemachineglow.com/reviews/ ... e2005.html



The Decemberists
Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
US release date: March 22, 2005
Score: 90

Certainly, many of the songs do sound noticeably larger than any of the band’s previous work; with its galloping rhythm and Meloy’s giddily melodramatic vocal, “The Infanta” could almost pass as arena rock, if only it didn’t feature words like “palanquin,” “rhapsodical,” “chaparral,” or, uh, “infanta.” But aside from what can only be described as a (surprisingly excellent) noise breakdown in “The Bagman’s Gambit” and a few scattered instrumental passages elsewhere, the album retains the band’s confident and stubborn emphasis on songwriting over all else, which is a good thing, because Picaresque finds Colin Meloy coming into his own as one of the best lyricists of his time.

The stories here are as colourful and three-dimensional as Meloy has written, and they resonate emotionally in a way they have not before: in “Eli, The Barrow Boy,” the ghost of a “coal and marigolds” vendor yearns for lost love as he haunts a churchyard; in “The Bagman’s Gambit,” a treasonous Cold War-era government agent reminisces about an affair with a Communist spy; in the wacky, nine-minute “The Mariner’s Revenge Song,” a young man follows his former step-father into the belly of a whale to avenge his mother’s death. While the themes and subject matter of these songs are certainly recognizable, Meloy infuses them with a new kind of urgency, making them far more visceral and affecting than any of his previous work.

Even more captivating is when Meloy’ songs side step their familiar academia and whimsicality, as they do here for perhaps the first time since 5 Songs. “16 Military Wives” takes the piss out of uncivilized discourse and Hollywood political advocacy like a nerdy cousin of Team America: World Police, with Meloy sounding delightfully coy and witty over one of his most infectious melodies. Most startling is the brief, gorgeous closer “Of Angels and Angles,” where, over a spare acoustic guitar, Meloy sings what can only be described as --- and leave it to the Decemberists to make this a surprise --- a love song. It just comes out of nowhere; it’s as heartfelt and direct as he has ever been, and coming from a guy who’s always kept a considerable detachment from his stories and characters, it makes you practically choke on your own heart.

The band itself must be commended as well, developing the drama inherent in Meloy’s songs without overwhelming them. Along with producer Chris Walla and a hired horn section, they sound much bigger and more proficient than before, but never intrusively so; in “The Sporting Life” they grind out a quiet “Lust for Life”-ish beat over the verses before seamlessly exploding into brief shots of ethereality for the chorus. They handle the dynamic shifts in songs like “Mariner’s Revenge” and “The Bagman’s Gambit” sharply, sounding nothing like the cutesy acoustic combo heard on 5 Songs. Meloy’s ambitions must be difficult to keep up with, but they’ve been consistently up to the task, making his songs even more animated and playful, and grounding his more airy-fairy lyrical tangents.

While Picaresque is a significant step forward, it’s also a logical one. The band’s sonic palette has expanded gradually from album to album, and appears to have come full circle here. What’s remarkable is how much like themselves the band has sounded through it all --- the influences of Morrissey, Mangum and Murdoch are as evident here as they were from the outset; the band simply wears them more confidently now, and has married them with enough poise that the similarities are much easier to forget. It’s much harder to guess where they’ll go from here; what’s clear, though, is that with Picaresque, The Decemberists have made their first tangible step towards greatness, as the band --- Meloy, especially --- seems fully aware of its own potential and confident enough to try to reach it. And hearing that confidence so richly and abundantly demonstrated on Picaresque, one can’t help but be excited for what may come next.

Matt Stephens | March 23, 2005

Colin Meloy needs to take the word "parapet" out of his vocabulary.

Their best album since the debut.

Their best collection of songs since their last collection of songs.

touche

Yes. Their song got old at the end of the first album.

I love this record; will make my top 10 for 2005. Colin Meloy lyrics are one of the things that draw me to this band. He paints a picture in my mind with his words and the music works so well with what he has to say. This group would only exist in a place like Portland Oregon as they capture that West Coast vibe just about better than anyone else at the moment. They never stop making music either third album after their second (or is it their third?) EP, all in less than five years and are about to make a new album for their new label.

I don't know. They're going to need to do something like "The Tain" again to hold my interest. The fey pirate music thing is only going to carry them so far.

i love it - their best album by far, in my opinion. also live they put on a hell of a show...even for a jaded bastard like me.

Man, they fucking slayed me when they played not just "The Mariner's Revenge Song," but also "The Tain." Two lengthy, awesome songs in one night. My mind was blown.

Colins... don't always rule.

even though i'm not really a fan of their music, i really dig Colin's lyrics.

Still one of my favorite groups of recent years, even if Malfoy...err...Meloy's vocal mannerisms need toning down.

This album will more than likely end up in my top 10. As an album, it's great. The lyrics are interesting, the music is different and there are few weak moments ("From My Own True Love" being one of them). The problem I have with this album and with the Decemberists in general is that I can only listen to them occasionally. I find Colin's voice to be taxing to listen to. I'll pull this CD out about once a month, listen to it all the way through and put it away for another month.

I loved Castaways and Cutouts when it first came out. Its probably the last album that I overplayed.

I suspect that I'd view the subsequent albums each much differently if they were the only album of the band. But since that's not the case, I tend to think that his fey pirate music shtick has gotten old and each album is a cheap (but slightly poppier) imitation of Castaways and Cutouts.

I like "Sixteen Military Wives" and a couple other tracks a lot but they dont really hold my attention for the whole album.

One in a long list of "shuffle bands"---if they come up on shuffle, Im cool but I rarely actively seek out their album....Bands in this category usually have at least one song that I can throw on a mix.

Amen. I think for me this one didn't have the legs that the others did, maybe because it didn't have a "Grace Cathedral Hill" or "Red Right Ankle", but it'll be in the top ten. I'm just interested in how BeeOK's #12 right now is going to end up in his top ten...

none of these are in order, number is just saying that this is a new day. I was going with one british then american but right now it's all north american for a little while.

yeah, great concert. glad i was able to see 'em before their ticket price goes up.

Bad song by a boring band off a tired album.

Nobody cares what you think, dickhead.

Pretty much how I feel. I'm also pretty surprised that they were signed to Capitol. Just don't see how that'll work.

one of my favorites. working toward a complete discography.

Kind of parroting everyone else here:

Good lyrics, but their style and sound don't do it for me. I liked this album for a minute and then started to find them mildly annoying.

I'm kind of the converse, i like them and am always taken aback at how much i like one of their songs when it comes on but i haven't bought one of their albums since Castaways. maybe i'll check this out.