The Decemberists' Colin Meloy and your average University student have a lot in common -- both have a penchant for reliving and engaging the past. While most around Grounds are comfortable referring to one Mr. Jefferson as if he were alive and well, few would consider spouting off about mariners and baronesses in the present tense. These idiosyncrasies of yesteryear, however, permeate the Decemberists' music and play a part in its otherwise unlikely appeal.
Picaresque, the band's third album in four years, showcases more growth than most of its contemporaries could hope for. "The Infanta" is an outright victory march that musically mimics the procession of Spanish royalty it describes: "Here she comes in her palanquin/On the back of an elephant/On a bed made of linen and sequins and silk." The music can only be described as stately, driven by galloping percussion under a blanket of piano and organ.
Two songs later, after the stories of a rags-to-riches love affair and the plight of a poor barrow boy wishing to buy his bride a wedding gown, it becomes obvious the Decemberists are incapable of creating a relatable storyline -- That is, until the Iggy Pop drumbeat styling of "The Sporting Life" confidently erodes such doubts away. This character sketch of an injured athlete shunned by a hopeful father, overbearing coach and popular girlfriend could be played out on any high school soccer field today.
"The Bagman's Gambit" also embraces a modern backdrop for its tale of a friend helping a spy gather government secrets. The song is a touching solo acoustic ballad until it reaches the climactic line "They'll never catch me now," when it melds into a triumphant rock chorus.
The highlight of the album is "16 Military Wives." Gathering two albums worth of fringe indie-pop know-how into five minutes of pure melodic bliss, the song is a surprising departure from the band's usual fodder. Subtly hinting between wordless "la"s and a Burt Bacharach horn section is a song of outright protest of American military aggression: "Cheer them on to their rivals/Because America can and America can't say no."
Unlike most dissenting voices from the music community, the Decemberists manage to make its views known in a pill that is easily to swallow and downright catchy to hear.
Playing to its seafaring strengths, the Decemberists close the album with "The Mariner's Revenge Song." This nine-minute epic could have easily fit the closing credits to Pirates of the Caribbean, with its vivid tale of a youth avenging his mother's death at the hands of a buccaneer.
Thankfully, we're not left with this dreary image but rather that of the beautiful solo acoustic "Of Angels and Angles." Typical of the Decemberists, the song shows the band knows when to have fun and when to be sincere. As a music fan, it's easy to love any band that knows the terrain this well.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
