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The Decemberists' fourth full-length LP, The Crane Wife, is released October 3rd on Capitol Records, marking the band's first release on a major label-- and it certainly makes for an unexpected debut.
One thing that really jumps out is the stylistic departure from their previous albums, something frontman Colin Meloy has been talking about doing since the recording of their 2004 EP The Tain. 2005's Picaresque was a bit of a wrapping up or, perhaps more appropriately, a summarization of the band’s style up to that point. The Crane Wife branches away from that and, in some ways, is more stylistically reminiscent of The Tain; a little darker and a little heavier. Similar to the format of The Tain, the album’s center pieces, "The Island" and "The Crane Wife", are both epic, prog rock song cycles that clock in at over ten minutes a piece. "The Crane Wife" (which follows the traditional Japanese folk tale of the same name) is split into three parts, with, oddly enough, the third part opening the album, and the first and second parts nearer the end. And "The Island"...well, just try to imagine The Tain mixed with Castaway and Cutouts' "Odalisque", with a liberal injection of 70's rock and Irish folk music.
While the band has evolved quite a bit musically, the topics and themes of Meloy's songs are just as melodramatic as ever; whether it's "Shankhill Butchers" about Catholic-murdering extremists in Northern Ireland, "Yankee Bayonet" about a Civil War romance, or the Romeo and Juliet-esque tale of "O, Valencia!", they all feel distinctly… Decemberists-y.
Overall, the band's sound has changed dramatically since Picaresque—but not at all in a negative way. With the move to a major label, more cynical fans may have even expected them to alter or "dumb down" their sound to appeal to a more mainstream audience. The band seems unaffected by the move, however, and The Crane Wife is a much bolder, more experimental record than anyone could expect—and with good ol' Chris Walla producing again, The Crane Wife feels right at home among the Decemberists' discography. In short, an extraordinary achievement sure to satisfy loyal fans and newcomers alike.
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