The Decemberists
Always the Bridesmaid series
Rating: 2.5
Label: Capitol Records
Known for their sprawling narratives and literate songwriting, The Decemberists' Always the Bridesmaid series noticeably scales back their trademarks. It's been almost three years since The Crane Wife hit shelves and fans are starting to get anxious again. The wait for 2009's Hazards of Love has been by far the longest gap between Decemberists' records, and understandably so since the band has been busy with non-stop touring, performing with symphonies and campaigning for Barack Obama. Still, over the past three months the Portland natives have been releasing their Always a Bridesmaid series; three volumes of tracks cut from the upcoming full-length due out March 24, 2009. On the past tour, frontman Colin Meloy explained to crowds that the Bridesmaid tracks were loved by the band but were simply too "jaunty" for Hazards. But from one volume of Always a Bridesmaid to the next, it seems there is a more prominent theme than mere jauntiness connecting the songs.
For the Always the Bridesmaid series, The Decemberists abandoned singing narratives entirely and instead provided nothing more than snapshots scenes. They range from humorous to nostalgic to forlorn, but together they form a composite of the band's new and curious direction.
The first volume, released in October, features the highly-promoted "Valerie Plame" with its B-side "O New England." "Valerie Plame," a love song to the betrayed CIA operative, is every the bit jaunty Colin Meloy warned. It's catchy and silly, hearkening back to such songs as "16 Military Wives" and "Billy Liar." Complete with a full horn section and a goodhearted banjo, "Valerie Plame" proves to be the most familiar of the new Decemberists' songs. "O New England" though is the first of the Bridesmaid snapshots. Explained in concert that the song refers to the only time Colin Meloy ever shoplifted, there is no hint of petty theft and instead reels backwards to the scenic lifestyle of America's North East.
The second volume, released in November, is more disappointing. With two versions of the song "Days of Elaine," and both failing to capitalize on Jenny Conlee's whimsical piano intro, there is no question why it was cut from Hazards. The B-side, a cover of The Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You," is by far the more listenable of the three tracks and Conlee's cherub voice is perfect for the childish nature of the duet.
And we can only hope Volume III, released at the beginning of December, is an indication of the Hazards of Love to come. The track "Record Year for Rainfall" is The Decemberists' most impressive arrangement of the band's career. In keeping with the snapshot theme, the lyrics paint a dismal scene of people finding their lifestyle perfectly paralleling dreary weather. The song truly creaks like an old house, and the bowed upright bass moaning over the lonely clang of the banjo is a stark portrait of the characters' quiet, meandering existence.
And as not to end on a downer, Volume III's B-side "Raincoat Song" is a short, lighthearted acoustic duet between Meloy and drummer John Moen. The track comically suggests to a 28-year-old spinster that her staying in bed all day is only making her problems worse. The chorus, in subtle black humor, even goes as far as to claim, "And the raincoat that you wore/ When it rained today/ I think it only made it rain more."
by Brian Loeper