Music 03 Oct 2006 07:00 am
They’ll Need a Crane
In the era of indie rock supremacy, the term “major label debut” can be disastrous for a band. Swapping basements for plush studios and experimental riffs for time-honored guitar licks, oh so many bands have “sold out” to the detriment of their music. When The Decemberists moved from indie label Kill Rock Stars to major player Capitol, then, it wasn’t unfair for fans to fear the same drop in quality with the release of The Crane Wife, especially since Her Majesty, Castaways and Cutouts, and Picaresque were so artistically rich. After just one listen of The Crane Wife, though, fans can rest assured that not only does the new album carry on the rich tradition already set by the band; it may be their very best stuff yet.
The title track, based on a Japanese legend, is split and juxtaposed into two tracks; the story’s melancholy end opening the album and its epic beginnings waiting until the penultimate track. In both cases, as through the rest of the album, creative acoustic guitar playing compliments and highlights lead singer Colin Meloy’s unique voice and delivery.
Indeed, there isn’t as much instrumental experimentation on The Crane Wife as fans have seen in the past - those hoping for a primitive squeeze box somewhere along the album will find it only on the nautical ballad “Summersong.” Instead, the band shows off their knowledge of musical history, lacing the epic triad “The Island - Come & See, The Landlord’s Daughter, You’ll Not Feel The Drowning” with Pink Floyd-esque distorted electric guitars and organs. The final track, “Sons and Daughters,” uses the simplicity of a round to pull off its fantastic sound.
Of course, no Decemberists album could be complete without references to revolution, murder, pillaging, and so on, and it’s done best in “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then),” a duet between Meloy and singer-songwriter Laura Veirs. A tale of 18th-century war and romance, it is for certain the most infectious song on the album and could be among their best non-epics.
From the groovy “The Perfect Crime #2″ and the simple “Shankhill Butchers” to the hauntingly heavy “When the War Came,” The Crane Wife is certainly never boring. And, as polished professional as it sounds, the album is still uniquely Decemberists. A better transition to a major label couldn’t have been imagined for Meloy and his stalwart crew.
Rating: * * * * * of 5
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on 04 Oct 2006 at 6:44 am 1.Tom Durso said …
Timely review, Jeff — it’s this week’s album of the week on WXPN, and I was thinking of renewing my membership just to get it. Thanks!
on 15 Oct 2006 at 2:55 am 2.MrVisible said …
I have to admit, I’m not nearly as fond of The Crane Wife and Picaresque as I was of the earlier albums. I even prefer Colin Meloy’s old stuff with Tarkio.
The latest stuff seems polished, sophisticated, and lacking in the honest yet twisted emotion that I used to love in their music. There don’t seem to be any of the kind of moments there used to be, like Red Right Ankle, I Was Made For The Stage, or Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect. It’s good music, sure, but it just doesn’t grab me the way they used to.
on 15 Oct 2006 at 8:18 am 3.Jeff Martin said …
That’s a good point, MrV. Those two songs, and the b-side “Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right” hold special places in my heart because of their earnestness. But I think “The Crane Wife 1 & 2″ is an honest, emotional song. I also would argue that “When the War Came” is one of their most emotional songs.
I haven’t had a chance to listen all the way through Omnibus yet; I’ll let everyone know what I think of that when I do get a chance to digest it.
on 20 Oct 2006 at 10:49 pm 4.Movie Hawk » Crikey! said …
[...] Teams arrive in Hanoi and start booking their tickets. Working together seems to be a strength here, as most teams figure out when the others are leaving and are able to secure tickets on similar flights. The Coalminer’s Wife (not to be confused with The Crane Wife) wind up screwing this particular pooch, landing in New Dehli but getting shut out of the connecting flight. You have to give them style points for at least being bold enough to risk it, but getting stuck in Dehli is no fun unless you’re fond of singing the Oscar Meyer theme…so yeah, no fun. It becomes blatantly obvious at this point in the episode that David and Mary are going to wind up in last place. But let’s continue the recap for fun. [...]