THE DECEMBERISTS

This folk/indie rock band with proggy tendencies hails from Portland, Oregon. This is their 9th album and with this one they return somewhat to some more progressive leanings after forays into more pop aspects on their last couple albums. This is a major, quite ambitious release (13 tracks, nearly 68 minutes long) featuring many different styles, somewhat broken into sections. The first section (4 tracks) features more indie rock/folk rock, accessible tracks and some of the best songs on the album, with upbeat vocals and melodies (even though dealing with melancholy subjects). The next section (4 tracks) features more traditional folk songs, slower with mainly acoustic guitar (and a plaintive horn section) and moving folky vocals and melodies, culminating with the love song All I Want is You. The next section (4 tracks) features more rock and diverse mixture of styles (but more rock and pop, less folky, even some psychedelia). Lastly (in a section all to itself), is the epic-length experimental track Joan in the Garden, which clocks in at just under 20 min, and also consists of three main sections, the first is built on a somber, moving melody that builds from an acoustic opening to fully orchestrated with vocal choir dramatic conclusion, but then the song goes into a section of ambient and random sounds and spoken words (that goes on too long) before finishing with a surprisingly rockin' closing section and one of the highlights of the album. Overall, a quite wonderful, moving, and satisfying album. Best Tracks: Burial Ground, Oh No!, America Made Me, Never Satisfied, Born to the Morning, All I Want Is You, Joan in the Garden. Rating: 4 stars

As June closes and July opens, we will get a whole lot more summer releases. It makes sense that a lot of albums are released around times that are as sunny as they can get. It is, of course, befitting after all. Funnily enough, the release that I was sort of off and on anticipating in hype for this year comes from a band that you wouldn't really expect to release something in the summer. However their music is genuinely pretty, well...sunny, so releasing an album in June was to be expected honestly for The Decemberists (funnily enough too they never released an album in December. How quaint.)

The Decemberists are kind of hard to fit into a specific genre. They are definitely folk and at the very least rock, but what kinda folk and rock they kinda are flip flops. In some cases they are more rooted in the more accessible indie pop genres, while in others, such as this one, they can pull out some pretty effective progressive folk stylings that seem almost like a love letter to bands like Jethro Tull. Heck, before this came out, their latest release of I'll Be Your Girl was them at their most poppy, utilizing synthpop as a base. They may not be as varied as groups like Radiohead or King Gizzard, but each release has its own charms that make them quite distinct. Here, we get the band at arguably their most progressive leaning since The Hazards of Love and even The Tain. However, it is progressive in a different way.

Unlike previous records that had aspects of rock operas and epics, As It Ever Was feels like a love letter to the alternative prog scene, particularly of the styles that The Dear Hunter utilizes in their music. However, it isn't a rip off of their sound, as they still implement their own quirky senses into the sound, and it is obviously a lot more folk than straight up alt rock. However, listening to (my personal favorite track) Oh No, you can definitely see a connection. I really enjoy this, as it not only makes the band's sounds feel more varied than they ever were, it makes the whole music world feel even more connected. I just love shared interests, is all.

I also really like how the band makes these songs feel like actual folk melodies that'd be sung back in the olden times, especially with how singable they are. Colin Meloy does always kind of have this distinction in his voice that makes his songs have this very americana charm, but here I just want to sing along more than. Especially to Long White Veil. If Oh No is my favorite on a more musical level, Long White Veil is my favorite on a singable level. It is insanely catchy, and just singing along to the lyrics, despite how bleak they are, just makes me grin from ear to ear. I honestly am sometimes amazed by how well made The Decemberists songs can get on repeated listens. Guess that goes with all music really, but this band certainly has their charm.

Of course, this is all without mentioning the big elephant of the room, that being the 19 minute epic of Joan in the Garden. In all honesty, this track is stellar. It goes back to some of their roots off of their first record, Castaways and Cutouts, having this very direct chamber folk feeling, mixed in with newer found aspects of progressive rock, country music, and hell, even post rock. It all ends up creating this piece of music that feels like an experience that they could've easily made as its own thing, much like what they did with their similar epic of The Tain, but the fact it is on here, and as a closing track for this very impressive album alone makes this easily one of the best songs on here.

Though...it is also the reason why I cannot say this record is a masterpiece, and it's all because of that droning section. It shows up at the 9 minute mark, so about half way, and goes on until nearly the 16 minute mark. In a way, it does feel like the band's attempt at making something similar to Echoes, or even Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd, as those songs too have their own weird droning sections, so it would be quite befitting for this record to have its own fun. I mean, if Marillion and IQ can make their own versions of Supper's Ready, why not make our own version of Echoes? The problem though is those drones off of Echoes were pretty quick all things considered, and after they finished the remaining minutes were spent well on building up to the climatic finish and reprisal of the lyrical section. Here though, we get seven straight minutes of drones and weird noises and then an immediate hard cut to the climatic finisher. If I could change this track in any way, I would like to shorten the drones by about 2 minutes, and with that empty amount of time, add in some kind of short build up to the ending, just to make it feel even more impactful and stellar. What we have now is still super great, but it's not amazing. Hell, when I first heard the track I was kind of disappointed, with me thinking this album wasn't worth reviewing because of it. I have grown more favorable of it though, and even have kind of a soft spot for the drones. Still, they overstay their welcome a bit.

Of course I really love this record. It may not be a five star masterpiece, but I bet it may be in my top five for this year if I don't end up with a whole collection of masterpieces by the end of all this. If not, definitely the top ten. The band definitely knows how to cook, and they cooked a pretty great meal. Certainly check this one out if you are into more alternative groups, and prog folk in general.

Best tracks: Oh No!, Long White Veil, Joan in the Garden

Worst track: All I Want Is You

"Billy Liar" is a short EP, or the bands first single. It consists of 2 songs from the album "Her Majesty" and 2 b-sides, not available anywhere else as far as I know. The first track is "Billy Liar" and is the same version as what is on the album. It is an upbeat, jaunty tune. "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" is also from that album in the same version. This is a nice tune, again upbeat with strumming guitar and other accompanying instruments, and features a harmonica solo reminiscent of Stevie Wonder mixed with strings. It seems both of these songs deal with child-ish perversions.

The last two tracks are unique to this EP. "Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right". It starts out with keyboards and repeating chords and vocals. Some guitar and percussion is added later. It stays at a midtempo. There is some nice slide guitar in the instrumental breaks. "Sunshine" has a retro sound, but again deals humorously with someone's butt. Again, it is a bright tune, mostly acoustic.

The songs fit together well, but do very little to hold my interest. There is no semblance of prog here, and, as a matter of fact, not much folk either. Just bouncy pop songs with a mostly acoustic flavor. The best surprise is the slide guitar in the 3rd track. But, all in all, it's not really worth searching for. The 2 b-sides are really nothing special. This one is for the fans and collectors.

Realistically speaking, there's only one prog offering on this album, and that's the 8 minute "Rusalka, Rusalka / Wild Rushes". While not necessarily as proggy as some of their work off of "The Crane Wife" or "Hazards of Love", the song is absolutely the highlight of the album; it's a wonderful two part story that has a lot of great contrasts between the two halves. There's a great climax in the slow, dramatic first part that leads into the quicker, more cheerful second part, and it brings back some of the riffing organ work from their past albums. Definitely an essential part of their catalogue, and if the whole album were on the same level, it'd be 5 stars no question..

Apart from that song, there are some other great songs, though none of them prog. "Cutting Stone" is a great song that starts with a dramatic, folk-y theme, which repeats and mixes in the synth-pop elements that are all over this album. I don't love it all the time, but here it works really well. "Severed" is very predominantly in the synth-pop genre, but it's led by a distorted guitar and the vocals are dark and muffled, both of which work really well with the political theme of the song. "Starwatcher", alongside "Rusalka, Rusalka / Wild Rushes", is definitely one the more purely folk songs on the record, which I enjoy a lot. "Everything is Awful" is a great indie rock tune that's based on a single repeating verse with a few bridges. It starts out with just an acoustic guitar and one vocal, and by the end of the song it has layered vocals and gets pretty heavy with the distorted guitar and John Moen just beating the hell out of the drums, before transitioning into a chorus-like vamp that ends the song; definitely my favourite song after "Rusalka, Rusalka / Wild Rushes". "Sucker's Prayer" is a great tune with a slow rock feel; great emotional energy and lyrics in this one.

All and all, the album is okay, with a few highlight tunes, but most of it isn't anywhere close to prog. However, the few great songs and the one prog offering it does have is an improvement from their last two albums. In general, it's a little better than a 3/5, but it's a solid 3 from a prog perspective.

While still nowhere near the levels of their beloved "Crane Wife" and "Hazards of Love" albums, "I'll Be Your Girl" is certainly an improvement of The Decemberists preceding two albums. The warm synths that grace much of this album create a lovely sound that, while perhaps not so proggy, are definitely enjoyable. For me, the high point of this album is the roughly eight-minute "Rusalka, Rusalka/Wild Rushes," which brings back the sort of storytelling that made The Decemberists so popular to begin with. I also quite enjoyed "Severed" with its intimidating tone, though I warn that if you are a fan of America's current presidential administration, there's a good chance that you won't find the song quite as enjoyable. Also high points for me on this album are "Once In My Life," "Starwatcher," and the title track "I'll Be Your Girl." Overall, I don't necessarily think this essential to a prog collection, but I think its definitely worthwhile to have for a general music collection.

THE DECEMBERISTS began their indie rock career in Portland, Oregon and gained attention with their lyrical focus on historical incidents and folklore as well as combining the musical elements of chamber folk, indie pop, baroque pop and rock. Their style sensibilities can be traced back to the 60s British folk acts like Fairport Convention and the Fairport Convention with a healthy cross-pollination of the indie rock and newer contemporary folk acts ranging from Modest Mouse to The Postal Service and even alt-country acts such as Uncle Tupelo. The music can range from upbeat and even guitar heavy progressive pop to country tinged lush ballads. Their debut release CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS is a vocal led journey written by vocalist Colin Moloy's who narrates the tales of the CASTAWAYS of the world such as Spanish gypsies and Turkish prostitutes.

One of the greatest assets of THE DECEMBERISTS is the fact that their music is so diverse. While mainly led by Meloy who is the lead singer, guitarist and chief songwriter, there is also a heavy presence of keyboards by Jenny Conlee who employs ample uses of Hammond organ, accordion, rhodes piano and other synthesized effects. Also on the team is percussionist Ezra Holbrook, Nate Query on upright bass and Chris Funk who adds additional guitar parts including the pedal steel and occasional theremin. All of the these unique instruments add interesting atmospheres and crossover genre styles that give THE DECEMBERISTS their own unique sound. The differences between songs is quite pronounced. While "Grace Cathedral Hill" is more of a sorrowful tale of lament that is a lush country ballad, "The Legionnaire's Lament" is an upbeat pop rock track that utilizes distorted ska guitar techniques, energetic accordion, bass and drum interaction and a extra catchy pop hook.

CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS made an immediate impression and accumulated an instant fan base and the band found a unique niche that has been compared (unfairly) to Neutral Milk Hotel although as with any folk oriented bands, similarities can be heard. Although the debut is a much more stripped down affair from the second album on where the band would include more guest musicians adding a more extensive range of sounds, CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS focuses more on the strong songwriting and inventive genre fusion techniques led by Meloy. While not as popular as albums such as "The Crane Wife" or "The Hazards Of Love," the debut is a decent album in its own right with a stronger roots oriented feel to it. While i have to admit that Meloy's idiosyncratic vocal style that seems equidistant between country and folk with a little mopey indie rock thrown in for good measure, it ultimately has won me over and fits the mournful saddened feel of the album.

Indie/folk darlings offer up a proper live album to showcase their infectious blend of playful, anachronistic, and gentlemanly rock music. The whole affair is a jaunty and lively experience, well-played and soulfully sung. However, and it's sort of a big however, the group's sound has difficulty capturing the same level of depth and texture that we hear throughout their studio work. Instead, the songs feel more riff heavy and electric than we're used to. Not necessarily a bad thing, considering that this live set-list is meant to get your toe-tapping, but in general it doesn't sweep one up as much as I would hope.

The songs emphasize the newly released King is Dead, with some dabbling primarily from Picaresque and Crane Wife; effective selections overall, though if you're looking for something as sensitive or artistic as you heard on Hazards of Love, you won't hear it. We All Raise Our Voices to the Air has a crowd-pleasing, festival feel, and is more concerned with creating a fun concert experience than it is with reveling in the antique and finely crafted sound that the band produces in the studio.

Definitely check it out if you're interested in seeing a slightly heavier side of a legitimately good indie/folk band.

Setlist: 3 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Stage/Energy: 3 - Live Experience: 3

You might have thought his long sabbatical after recording "The King is Dead" would have given Colin Meloy enough time to recharge his creative batteries. That hope was quickly spoiled by the release of "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World" in 2015: an album sounding like the flotsam of earlier, unrealized projects, exhumed from the bottom drawer of Meloy's songwriting cabinet.

Predictably, this modest collection of leftovers from the same studio sessions appeared shortly afterward: in effect an EP of outtakes from an album of outtakes. If nothing else, the five songs here marked a full-circle retreat to the unremarkable Indie Rock of the "5 Songs" EP from 2001, in retrospect hardly a Decemberists classic but at least showing some of the youthful aspirations missing from the band's current efforts.

After fifteen years of escalating success the group now sounds a bit jaded, content to rest on their wilting laurels. "Riverswim" is a pretty song, once again mining the same vein of faux-Americana exploited for "The King is Dead" a half-decade earlier. "Fits and Starts" presents another plagiarized R.E.M.-style rocker, one of many already dotting the Decemberist landscape. There's even a song titled "Stateside", by coincidence (or maybe not) a bookend reflection of the "5 Songs" ballad "Oceanside".

Even the signature vocal tremolo of Meloy, so distinctive when he's singing about 'brickbats and Bowery toughs', is fast becoming a tiresome affectation. The Decemberists certainly deserve all the acclaim their music has earned them in the past. But with the eclecticism long gone, and with Meloy complacently treading very shallow water, it might be time to admit his band's best years are behind them.

The first Decemberists album after a four-year recess continued in the same, mainstream direction as "The King is Dead", to the dismay of anyone who, like me, first discovered the group through their ambitious "The Hazards of Love" project in 2009. Since then the band has retooled its idiosyncratic style in pursuit of a more commercial muse, playing shorter songs with fewer eccentricities, explicitly tailored for lower common denominator NPR airplay.

There's nothing wrong with that. When properly motivated, Colin Meloy can still write incredibly well-crafted pop songs ("Make You Better") and lovely acoustic ballads ("Lake Song", and is that a Mellotron I hear over the chorus?). But the material here sounds oddly disengaged, lacking even the lightweight thread of backwoods Americana that held the "King" album loosely together.

"We had to change some", Meloy insists at the start of the album, in a narcissistic ditty transparently named "The Singer Addresses His Audience". The author denies any autobiographical bias, but I don't believe it: he's too smart not to realize the song plays like a slap in the face to longtime fans who treasured the band's originality. We get it, Colin: you've outgrown that trademark antique Victorian charm and tongue-in-cheek narrative whimsy. Change is good, but not when you're defending your weakest album to date (and still performing "The Mariner's Revenge Song" on stage).

Ironically, "The Singer Addresses..." is by far the album's strongest track: a thrilling return to form, at least musically. Elsewhere the songs too often go in one ear and out the other, and thankfully too: "Easy Come, Easy Go", as Meloy sings in the (almost) catchy rocker of the same name. That old-thyme American folk sound from "The King is Dead" resurfaces in "Carolina Low" and "Better Not Wake the Baby" (what was that you said about needing to change, Colin..?) And the band hits rock bottom in the twin nadirs of "Cavalry Captain" and "Philomena", the former sounding not unlike the worst of '80s Phil Collins (but with pithier lyrics), and the latter a fluffy pop nonentity with atypically smarmy lyrics unworthy of the pen that wrote "The Crane Wife".

Let's hope such a unique songwriter, who describes himself (in "Lake Song") as being at one time "seventeen and terminally fey", soon grows tired of career-building and reconnects with the buoyant spirit of his wayward youth.

This third album by the Decemberists sees the indi-rock darlings escalating the bombast and artistry of their nuanced, hand-crafted songs and stories. The result is a strong show of the band's unique sound and identity that shows progression from their previous two works, and feels like a warm up for the two excellent albums that follow. Taken by itself, Picaresque is an album of stand alone songs that sometimes captivate, sometimes romance, sometimes poke fun at, and sometimes miss the mark, making for a good but not essential prog-folk experience.

The opener "Infanta" is a huge, bombastic, and upbeat attention grabber with a Spanish flair. It's pretty good, and may be a prog fan's highlight of the album. However, it's hardly representative of what follows. "We Both Go Down Together" is a sing-songy tune with an abundance of Meloy vocals and violin counter melody. A good example of a song that has a few moments of appeal but doesn't quite work as intended. We're given songs that are playful and charming, melancholic and sorrowful, and even ambitious balladry like "Bagman's Gambit". This song is another good example of a mixed bag; the composition has numerous dynamic shifts and nuance, but doesn't have the emotional "umph" to resonate. "Mariner's Revenge Song" is better, thanks to its reliance on acoustics and occasional moments of intensity. Ironically, the excellent instrumental performances and nuanced vocals of later albums haven't quite developed yet, but the album retains a strong sense of presence and fun despite this.

For me Picaresque is at its best at its most extreme: very ambitious and "forte," or very acoustic and sensitive. There is too much middling to make this more than a 3-star prog folk release. Those curious about the band should check out the much better albums that follow first, and temper expectations if working backwards.

Songwriting: 3 - Instrumental Performances: 2 - Lyrics/Vocals: 2 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 3