The Decemberists
The Crane Wife
When The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy challenged Stephen
Colbert to “Put down the pen and pick up the axe,” it was a watershed moment
for the band. Known mostly for Meloy’s
storytelling and use of archaic language, The Decemberists may have just
pledged allegiance to the world of face-melting guitar solos. Also, maybe not. Although the riff on “When the War Came” does
its best to shred, The Crane Wife
mostly sticks to (as Colbert puts it) “hyper-literate prog rock.” Fortunately for them and us, The
Decemberists’ prog rock is more fun than a barrel of Yngwie Malmsteens. Meloy anchors the album with stories of
homecoming, transformation, and loss. The title songs retell a Japanese fairy tail about a poor man who rescues
an injured crane, marries her, and leads her to death by way of his own greed. Elsewhere, wars are fought. Soldiers die. Banks are robbed. Mysterious
islands are plundered. Love. Yearning. Remorse. You know, the usual. The album has a Revolutionary War vibe
undercut by modern references to bombs and plastique. It’s practically science fiction—dense,
otherworldly, and, yes, literate—but the music soars mostly when the melody and
the music soar. If Meloy had challenged
Colbert to a fourteen-letter word sing-off, well, that would be a competition
worth watching.
Marty Brown, 2006
Elsewhere, Joanna Newsom's Ys rocks some hyper-literacy--this time in the form of epic, Renaissance short stories/songs. If you're into that kind of thing.
Squidhelmet's challenge to the Factual opinion:
Get hip to the hyperlink!
I enjoyed this review even more after I went out and googled what the heck you were talking about with this Stephen Colbert stuff:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/39928/Exclusive_Decemberists_Counterchallenge_Colbert
Posted by: Squidhelmet | 2006.12.18 at 15:39