I Will Come On The Breath Of The Wind

If The Crane Wife is not on your list of top 5 albums of 2006, then I don't know where your year's been. It is _ the_ most anticipated album of the year, fueled by the fact that this is their first album under the awnings of a major label (they jumped ship from Kill Rock Stars last year). Everyone's either praying that they don't sell out or waiting for them to fuck up. Well, they did neither. In the first place, I don't see how their music can even reach out to a so-called wider audience; The Decemberists are, after all, a bunch of geeks singing about trapeze artists, sailors' revenge songs, and bicycle thieves. They do like their Romeo-and-Juliet tales in various incarnations but a Top 40 song about how a pair of star-crossed lovers was challenged to a pistol duel by the girl's brother, which led to the accidental shooting of the girl and the lover then vowed to burn the city down... hmmmm.... I can't see it.

In the second place, why mess around with things you know already work? They can't fuck up what they've been doing so well for what, 3 albums and 3 EPs right? In fact, I think The Crane Wife is less radio-friendly than Picaresque, and the 12 min "The Island/Landlord's daughter/You'll not feel the drowning" will alienate the unwary listener more than the fun come-sing-along-with-me "16 Military Wives" (Picaresque).

The Crane Wife is loosely based on a Japanese folk tale but the album has all the classic Decemberists' touches: civil war songs, sea chanties, and murder ballads. Is it Colin Meloy's voice (sometimes he sounds as if he's singing from just one side of his mouth) or the subject matter that makes The Decemberists just about the most unique and wonderful band around today?

The Decemberists - Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) and O' Valencia!