THE CRANE WIFE

I personally don't like The Decemberists' latest offering as much as their previous ones, as they've dropped the raw folk feel they had and went for a more clean well-produced approach. But this album does have great moments on it and ranks as easily their most progressive work to date.

Again there is a mix between progressive tracks and more conventional ones. None of them rank against the conventional side of "Picaresque" or any of the other earlier works, but there are still some very good ones. My favorites are Yankee Bayonet and Summersong. Yankee Bayonet would have to be my favorite of the shorter songs. I prefered Petra Haden's vocal collaboration on "Picaresque", but Laura Veirs is also very good on this track. It is also one of The Decemberists' finer lyrical moments (which is saying a lot). Shankill Butchers is an interesting track, and ranks as one of the band's creepiest tracks. Unfortuantely the other tracks are rather lackluster. The Perfect Crime and When the War Came are the kind of tracks I have to force myself to listen to.

The progressive moments are where the band really shines here though. The Crane Wife tracks are all very good, though don't compare to The Island suite. It is certainly one of the band's greatest musical achievements. Certainly a phenomenal epic from a very worthwhile band. Sons and Daughters is also different from their conventional songs, and is far and above the best closing track on any Decemberists album.

So not as much of a Prog Folk album, I'll recommend this one to any Symphonic Prog fan who isn't afraid of a few shorter songs on their prog albums.