The Decemberists are a great band, but they can never quite seem to make a perfect album. Still, they've made consistently solid attempts, and here is their fourth. If nothing else, THE CRANE WIFE proves Meloy's skill as a songwriter (if there could have possibly been any doubt after PICARESQUE), and displays what the band can do with some higher production values. I think, though, that the album will be most enjoyed by those who are just discovering the Decemberists and haven't listened to their previous efforts.
The album opens and closes well. "Crane Wife 3" is bright, simple, and accessible, and it flows right into "The Island," which is dark, complex, and very prog-rock (over 12 minutes long!). So within the first fifteen minutes we've already witnessed the broad spectrum of Meloy's songwriting ability. There are also already a few annoyances: the segue between the first two songs, which seems a very tenuous connection between otherwise unrelated material. And why is "The Island" only one track? Yes, the three songs may very well be related, but they are also very clearly separate songs. In fact, many of the annoyances of the album stem from its organization as a "half concept album," which is an interesting idea, but not a particularly well-executed one. A bit more about that later.
The middle section of the album sags a bit. "Yankee Bayonet" and "O, Valencia!" both cover very familiar material. Really, Colin, two songs about dead lovers in a row? At least PICARESQUE spaced them out a bit. "The Perfect Crime #2" is actually a fun little experiment, probably the most successful bit of experimentation on the album. Yes, the chorus is a bit annoying, but hey, it at least suggests the Decemberists are versatile. "When The War Came," unfortunately, suggests otherwise. It appears to be some sort of attempt at a harder rock sound, but ends up just being the first truly awful Decemberists song, which is quite sad. I'd rather not discuss it. In fact, why don't we just forget about it because the next song is "Shankill Butchers," which is really lovely--in a creepy sort of way--and one of the best songs here. Then there is the forgettable "Summersong," and then "Crane Wife 1 and 2," which is the reason you buy the CD. I said the album opens and closes well, and indeed, "Crane Wife 1 and 2" is a heck of a way to close an album. It could possibly be the apex of the Decemberists career thus far. It's only marred, slightly, by the fact that the two songs are crammed into one track. Why? In what way does this improve the listening experience? Yes, I understand that they tell a story. In which case, Crane Wife 3 should probably be after Crane Wife 2 in the same track, don't you think? Ah, but then comes "Sons and Daughters" and all my crankiness evaporates. Maybe it's repetitive, and maybe it goes on a bit too long, but who cares when it's this much fun? It's the perfect way to end the album.
Okay, so if you don't want to read all of that: it opens well, closes well, and has a few clunkers in the middle. Oh yeah, and the arrangements are a bit too heavy on synth for my taste. But overall, it isn't better or worse than other Decemberists releases. Same high quality stuff. I'm still waiting for a perfect album, though!Get more detail about
The Crane Wife.
