“This Portland band led by Colin Meloy is back with another ambitious concept album, this one taking inspiration from an old Japanese folk tale with Meloy using typically literate lyrics to flesh out and expand upon the tragic storyline. Their 1st release for a major label, The Crane Wife was co-produced by Tucker Martine and Death Cab’s Chris Walla along with the band, and while the production is much fuller than past efforts, they shy away from excessive studio gloss while giving the band a punchier, more rock-oriented sound. Plenty of colorful instrumentation can still be found, and best of all, Meloy’s latest batch of songs rank with his finest to date.” - Don Yates
The Crane Wife is out today! Watch a behind the scenes video of The Decemberists getting ready for The Crane Wife photo shoot, courtesy of Stereogum, and Stream a song from the new record at their MySpace page.
Listen to an exclusive in-studio performance from 3/18/05 - (WMA, Real), and catch The Decemberists on November 17 at The Paramount.
