ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID: VOL 3

This is the third and final installment in the Decemberists’ 2008 ‘Always the Bridesmaid’ series of vinyl singles. Like the other two the songs on this one aren’t progressive by any stretch of the imagination, but they do demonstrate once again Colin Meloy’s uncanny ability to meld great lyric writing with ear- pleasing and melodic musical arrangements, resulting in a couple more reflective, appealing ditties that will undoubtedly show up in the band’s concert playlist from time to time.

Both of these tracks are centered on rain, and predictably the overall mood is fairly depressing. With “Record Year for Rainfall” we have an uncomfortable front-row seat during a sad, heartbreaking breakup that plays out on a dreary and rainy day. With Meloy metaphors always require some consideration though, and his references to the fall of the Roman Empire could also hint at the current state of the United States in some of the lyrics: “did it look this gray before the fall?”

Or maybe he’s just amusing himself at the listener’s expense once again.

“Raincoat Song” is quite similar but without the ambiguous sociopolitical nuances. In this one I suppose the raincoat being worn by the 28-year old woman (who is pondering the implications of becoming a spinster) represents shutting out the world by wrapping oneself in a protective shield of sorts. Bottom- line is the girl doesn’t have a guy and that seems to be a problem. Not exactly a new musical theme certainly, but Meloy and the band once again make an emotional connection with minor chords, awkwardly quiet vocals and their overall humane demeanor to yield another very good (albeit pop) tune.

This third single is the more difficult one to locate; it came out behind schedule and was never made available on Amazon to my knowledge. It can still be ordered in vinyl ‘hard copy’ from Jealous Butcher’s website, and I think at one time I heard you could get it on iTunes, but wouldn’t know personally.

Two stars for this one; not bad music at all for sure, I just can’t see recommending these songs to anyone but fans of the band and collectors in general.

peace