The Crane Wife - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Capitol raised a few eyebrows when they signed indie stalwarts the Decemberists. There's nothing blatantly commercial about the Portland quintet, from Colin Meloy's quavery voice and hyper-literate lyrics to the band's wide-ranging music, which encompasses baroque pop, prog rock, and dozens of other styles. Then again, he did once sing, "I was made for the stage," and those who've seen the group live know this to be true. Sure, they're storytellers, but they're entertainers, too--just not in the Top 40 sense. Never ones to play it safe, their major label debut takes its inspiration from a Japanese folk tale. It travels from the Replacements-style balladry of "The Crane Wife 3"--which joins words like "Each feather it fell from skin/'Til threadbare while she grew thin" to the melody from "Here Comes a Regular"--to the ELP hoedown of three-part epic "The Island" to the haunting duet between Meloy and Laura Veirs on "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)." It's an impressively eclectic effort that somehow manages to avoid sounding scattered. Co-produced by Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) and Tucker Martine (the Long Winters), the Decemberists' fourth full-length is richer, less immediately catchy than its predecessor (there's nothing as bouncy here as Picaresque's "Sixteen Military Wives"). It's also a deeper work that resists snap judgments. Some records hit you over the head with their brilliance, others need time to percolate. Time will tell if The Crane Wife is the Decemberists' best album--it's certainly their most ambitious so far. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews: Read 126 more reviews...

Their Best? Probably. October 7, 2006
105 out of 114 found this review helpful

The Decemberists' fourth full-length album, and their first for a major record label, is, in my opinion, their best album to date. What's great about "The Crane Wife" is that it has a major record label sound without sacrificing the style that made The Decemberists the great, unique band that they are.

The album begins slowly, with the haunting acoustic ballad turned full-speed solemn sing-along, "The Crane Wife, Pt. 3." The song is classic Decemberists, but accessible enough that you'll undoubtedly find yourself singing "I will hang my head, hang my head low" with Colin, even if it's only your first time listening to the song. It's a great lead-off track, and really builds the momentum that lasts through most of the album. That momentum runs head-on into "The Island," a three-part 12 1/2 minute epic that instantly captivating and enjoyable.

"Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, as it features a beautiful duet between Colin and Laura Veirs. Of course, when I say beautiful, I'm not speaking of an R&B/Whitney Houston type of duet. Despite what many will undoubtedly say of them, The Decemberists have not "sold out" on this album. They've simply refined their sound, and made it more pleasant, with the help of Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, who serves as producer on this album. But I digress...

Moving along, the next two tracks on the album have a great chance of launching The Decemberists into levels of fame that they have not yet experienced. The first of these, "O Valencia!" is an upbeat, love song that features a nice Meloyian twist. Colin laments "O Valencia with your blood still warm on the ground, Valencia! And I swear to the stars I'll burn this whole city down!" It's initially a fun song, but after taking a look at the lyrics, you realize that it's actually quite sad. Regardless, it's fantastic. The next song, "The Perfect Crime No. 2" is by far my favorite track on the album. In it, Meloy discusses, as the tile suggests, "The Perfect Crime" over an almost funk-ish bassline. Then new Decemberist sound is in full-force here, and it's an absolute joy to listen to.

"When the War Came" is the next track, and it will blow you away with the sheer amount of energy that it forces out in its 5 minutes. Unlike most songs by The Decemberists, this one features an incredibly angry sounding electric guitar and equally as aggressive drumming. At the end of the song, they syncopate as Colin echoes forcefully "With all the grain of Babylon..." It is without a doubt the most angry song to come from the band, but it's also one of the best.

For classic Decemberists fans, "The Shankhill Butchers" will be a favorite. It's really the only time that the album dies down for an entire track, but it is still a really great song. Like almost all of the band's songs, it tells a story. In this case, it takes the form of an English murder ballad. If any song on the album could be considered a "shout out" to the band's longtime fans, its this one.

The album wraps up fairly nicely. "Summersong" once again picks things up a notch, but the real standout is "The Crane Wife, Pts. 1 & 2," which obviously tell the first two parts of the story of The Crane Wife. Pt. 1 is more of a celebration over the crane whom the narrator marries, while Pt. 2 laments his treatment of her. Each part is brilliant in its own right, but Pt. 2 stands out as the most beautiful part of the album and poignantly renders the last song on the album, "Sons & Daughters" negligible. It's a great track, and well suited as a closing song, but it's place as a follow-up to "The Crane Wife, Pt. 2" is a tough one.

Overall, I'd say that The Decemberists have really made the transition onto a major record label quite flawlessly. They have crafted an album that stands out as one of the best albums of the year and probably their own personal best. For Decemberists fans who are a bit worried about what kind of difference the leap has made, stop. The fantastic storytelling is still here, only with more heart, and Colin Meloy's unique form of sensationalist lyrics are still here as well. This is, after all, an album by The Decemberists. Only now, more people will know that. And I couldn't be happier!

Key Tracks:
1. "The Island"
2. "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"
3. "O Valencia!"
4. "The Perfect Crime"
5. "The Crane Wife, Pts. 1 &2"

5 out of 5 Stars

The good "Wife" October 3, 2006
44 out of 51 found this review helpful

The Decemberists make that riskiest of leaps in "The Crane Wife" -- to a major label, away from Kill Rock Stars. Hopefully that will get this beloved indie band the attention they deserve.

But a major label jump doesn't matter if the end product isn't good. And the Decemberists' fourth full-length album not only preserves their melodious sea-chanty sound, but it is also probably the best work this band has ever done, topping their previous album "Picaresque." From start to finish, this music is warm and enchantingly imaginative.

"And under the boughs unbound/All clothed in a snowy shroud/She had no heart so hardened/All under the boughs unbound," Colin Meloy murmurs in the opening song. The wintry lyrics make a stark contrast to the strummy little tune, fleshed out with intermittent piano. It's catchy and melodious, but much in the way that their previous songs were.

It's a good song, and a solid introduction to a string of similarly good songs, like the folky "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)," rollicking acoustic marches, and dreamy nautical-summer ballads. The Decemberists also dabble a bit in rock in the middle of the album, like the fast-moving riffs of "Perfect Crime #2," before switching back to familiar territory.

The Decemberists started off being good, but rapidly ascended to indie-rock greatness as they grew into their sound and made it more robust. "The Crane Wife" is just the natural progression of that, and it's hard to see how anyone could not like these jolly, catchy songs, with the charming lyrics and poignant imagery. Well, maybe if you don't like the sea.

They take some musical risks as well, with two songs clocking in at over ten minutes apiece. One is a meditative ballad, and the other is a sprawling, solid experimental-folk song with lots of ringing strings and epic piano. But at its heart, "Crane Wife" is all about the solid, catchy folk melodies, made of acoustic guitar and bits of keyboard and piano as well. And, of course, the ol' reliable accordion, which gives it the feeling of sailors standing on a harbor, making music to pass the time.

Colin Meloy has the same odd, a-melodious voice, which becomes more endearing as the album goes on. His lyrics are probably the best aspect of the entire album -- Meloy has a knack for strange, fitting turns of phrase. "Folks bobbing in the blue of the bay/in deep, far beneath/all the dead sailors slowly slipping to sleep... and summer blows away/and quietly gets swallowed by a wave..."

"The Crane Wife" is the best album the Decemberists have done to date, and certainly promises that they will only be getting better. A must-buy for 2006.

2 out of 5 stars

pretentious pretentiousness October 7, 2006
13 out of 63 found this review helpful

sorry but note the redundancy of the title above--there are much much much better hyperliterate kooks out there--and certainly far more melodic jangly pop bands working senses overtime these days. Quirky's an awful flavor of tar to brush a band with, but boy The Sugarplastic, Anton Barbeau, Sparklehorse, Yo La Tengo, Robyn Hitchcock, and The Black Watch ALL put out idiocincratic, MUCH more satisfying and beautiful records than this lot's done. the title track is all right. the lilting nature of a FEW of the melodies is pleasing, but boy does this record, for the most part, GRATE and CHAFE anyone who grew up on good quirk (XTC, Jazz Butcher, et alia). AVOID the decemberists' brand of "off" pop--i WANTED to like this. i really did. i played it around 7 times. It's boring and self-conscious. sad.

1 out of 5 stars

...AND SLAYER TREMBLES!!! December 19, 2006
10 out of 63 found this review helpful

This will be my shortest review ever. I know, everyone wins.

This is one of two things.

It's either...

A) utterly twee garbage that should really be avoided...

OR...

B) a perfectly transcendant experiance (for Belle & Sebastian fans).

Oh wait...those are the same thing.
Well...whatever...nevermind.

5 out of 5 stars

Album of the Year October 13, 2006
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

The first thing that may strike you about the new Decemberists album is the shift in their sound, from a more folk-rock style to a definite prog-rock sound. They have always been an art-rock outfit, but on this CD they recall the heyday of Yes and early Genesis, complete with multi-part song suites, up-front organ solos, and the lot. It's rich and excellent stuff. Colin Meloy still loves to spin a dark tale with esoteric lyrics, but there is also a fair amount of musical brightness, including "O Valencia!" and "Summersong" (only Meloy can turn an ostensibly upbeat summer-at-the-beach tune and give it a morbid spin). There is also a sprightly duet with Laura Veirs, "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)". The centerpiece song, "The Crane Wife", is presented in three non-consecutive parts and is based on a Japanese folk tale, and is told with spare, haiku-like lyrics. Musically, it's a stunning work from beginning to end, an album that demands to be heard in its entirety. Those who may have worried about this, their major label debut, needn't be concerned about the "sellout factor". This is easily the Decemberists' best work to date, and quite possibly the best rock album of the year.

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