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| | The Crane Wife | | | Music Artist : | | The Decemberists | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Capitol | | Release Date : | | 2006-10-03 | | Store Price : | | $18.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $14.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. The Crane Wife 3
2. The Island-Come & See/The Landlord’s Daughter/You’ll Not Feel The Drowning
3. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
4. O Valencia!
5. The Perfect Crime #2
6. When The War Came
7. Shankhill Butchers
8. Summersong
9. The Crane Wife 1 and 2
10. Sons and Daughters
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 No better or worse
Submitted on: 2009-08-01 |
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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! |
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 All that divides, in one compelling CD
Submitted on: 2009-07-30 |
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| The first listen had me intrigued, until I woke up the next morning, about to embark on a 6 hour road trip by myself, and found that images from The Crane Wife had invaded my dreams. Then I became mildly obsessed, listening to the disc five times in a row on a sunny stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Decemberists' fourth ablum defies categorization: its lyrics time-travel from what seems to be ancient Japan to the Civil War to the glory days of gangs and crime, to a perfect day at the beach. The music trips around, as well, invoking The Replacements, Yes, Pearl Jam, and even Mike Oldfield. I was struck repeatedly by the chasms that emerge in the songs - when innocent meets evil in The Island; between North and South (and living and dead) in Yankee Bayonet; between intent and impact in The Crane Wife 2; between what appears on the surface and the danger that lurks beneath in Summersong. The lyrics are old-world, courtly, and Colin Meloy sings them with a flat detachment that lends a chill creepiness ("the weight upon your eyelids | is dimes laid on your eyes"): even on the sunniest song, Meloy gives the impression that he's just stating the facts, as "summer blows away and quietly gets swallowed by a wave" (lah di dah di dah). A truly splendid CD, and one that rewards repeated listening, it's also one that can get under your skin. Be warned - there are dreams ahead. |
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 I can't believe so many people love listening to this guy whine.
Submitted on: 2009-05-02 |
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| Colin Malloy's "signature voice" is an incredibly annoying whine. The songwriting is quite nice at times, but just plain silly and campy at others. One gets the impression that the band considers angst an emotion that one should strive to feel. I guess that's great if you're a teenager -- otherwise, not so much. |
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Better than Good
Submitted on: 2009-01-30 |
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Excellent compilation of tunes and stunning performance. I wish I had known of this group earlier; too bad they only get played on Public and/or listener-supported (speaks volumes) stations. Nice, folk/country/alt-rock flavor, and I especially love the anti-war-machine thread that runs through the lyrics. I can easily picture a live audience singing in unison with Mr. Meloy and Ms. Conlee on the tag of "Sons and Daughters," a few hundred Bic lighters held high. Inspiring!
My only disappointment was, after being so impressed with Laura Veirs' voice on "Yankee Bayonet," searching out some YouTube examples of her own material only to find it bland, pretentious and utterly forgettable.
I keep searching my mind for some other act to which this group compares; I can find none. Unique and wonderful! |
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 Erratic and only partially successful
Submitted on: 2009-01-24 |
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| The Crane Wife is an erratic production. Some of the numbers work well; some don't. The title song, "The Crane Wife,* is bloated and too long. The Decemberists' two best albums still remain Picaresque and Castaways & Cutouts. |
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