One of those multi-instrumental folky old-timey bands that blew up in the wake of Arcade Fire, but seem a bit silly in hindsight. Like Beirut. Have some decent songs, a couple of solid albums, but at the same are more or less completely redundant in the Year of Our Lord 2021. And I canāt imagine ever reaching for one of their albums. Itās a 2/5.
Enjoying the positivity in this thread. I kind of thought the tide had turned on these guys and for no good reason assumed everyone hated them nowadays. Not sure why I assumed that, but Iām glad to be wrong.
I got into them by reading a review of āThe Tainā on Pitchfork, thinking āwell that sounds like fun!ā and it was. This was at the beginning of the summer in 2004. I had finished university, and was working in a call centre in Winchester.
I remember downloading Castaways and Cutouts, and Her Majesty during the summer, and burning CDs because I just had to listen to them while I was waiting for my copies fo arrive from Amazon Marketplace.
I think, during that summer, I downloaded pretty much everything that was available onā¦ hmm 2004? Was Soulseek the p2p of choice?ā by either The Decemberists or Tarkio, including a live cover of Human Behaviour by Bjork, and Up the Junction by Squeeze. Theyāve probably recorded these in the studio and released them by now.
I burned so many CDs, and I remember making covers for them all and decorating them, watching Euro 2004.
Iāll call that Era 1 of my relationship with The Decemberists. That summer was a great one, and the last one for some time that I spent in my home town, and pretty much any time I hear anything off the first two albums, or the EP with āShinyā on it, or those Tarkio albums, I am immediately taken back to my home town, which for purely nostalgic reasons, I sometimes miss. Era 1 ends with me seeing them play a concert in Bristol in a church, or a room adjacent to a church. Canāt remember the name, but I remember it being quite a trek from the city centre and missed the train home.
Era 2 is, for me Picaresque, Crane Wife and Hazards of Love. I like these albums, just not in the same feverish way. I think I could make a ābest ofā from just these three albums and it would end up being their best stand-alone album. But I definitely think The Hazards of Love, while not my favourite from the first five (in fact itās my least favourite) I think they peaked there.
Era 3 is everything since. And I have completely lost interest because, although Iām sure they are capable of pulling out some good songs (I really liked āOnce in My Lifeā), they donāt feel like the same band. I remember listening to 'What a Beautiful Worldā¦" once on a bus and as soon as it finished, I was like ādonāt think Iāll be listening to that againā and so far havenāt. Also surpised myself there by having to look up the title of that album.
I had no idea their popularity is on the increase. Just looked up where their albums charted in the UK. Iāll Be Your Girl charted at number 8? Mad.
Sooā¦ Era 1 - 5/5 would happily go back in time and relive that summer forever
Era 2 - 4/5
Era 3 - 2/5
I think the Tarkio album(s? not sure if the 6 track one is a mini album or an EP) are well worth checking out. Theyāre as good as any of the early Decemberists albums, and I think Keeping Me Awake, Devilās Elbow and Tristan and Isuelt are up there some of his (IE Colin Meloy)'s best.
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Trinity Centre?
No, Iāll have to look it upā¦ Oh, it was something called St Bonaventureās. Not sure if that is / was used as a regular venue, but it was really small, and it was only for sitting. Reminded me of a pub quiz set up, only with The Decemberists playing.
Decent set list
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Iām absolutely covered in paint right now. Expect an essay later. Clear 5 obvs
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Giving them a five for the sheer nostalgia, for a while they weāre very special to me, which definitely had nothing to do with trying to impress a girl at university who put The Youth and Beauty Brigade on a mix for me.
I can see why theyād rub people up the wrong way, the central reliance (on the earlier albums at least) on fantastical narratives and folk instrumentation was a totally different approach to loads of bands, and itās not for everyone. Sometimes it gets too much - I think if I was forced to come up with a song for any band, theyād be the easiest to parody because itās so distinctive.
Thereās genuine sentiment and emotion in the stories though - the Crane Wife, On the Bus Mall, the end of Hazards. And some of the wordplay is sublime, just a breadth that only people like Joanna Newsom really match (I still grin when the Picaresque begins with: āHere she comes, in her palaquin, on the back of an elephantā¦ā)
Favourite song is probably:
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Along with Death Cab and Arcade Fire The Decemberists were the other main draw for me from that US indie scene of the 00ās. Great songs, expansive arrangements (always a big plus) and a taste for the theatrical which culminated in writing a rock opera, I hugely admire that creative ambition but also more importantly that it turned out great. He has a tendency for Grand Guignol and sometimes makes dubious decisions but what has always really captivated me were Colinās lyrics. The songs are like short stories, the writing is precise and full of detail. Colin just loves language, I donāt see it as a bad thing when a band sends me running for a dictionary. Their best songs feel good in my mouth.
Iād probably say to anyone wanting to give them a try to listen to the last four tracks of Picaresque to see if you get on with them. You go from the Decemberists at their most ludicrously dramatic on Mariners Revenge where a lifelong thirst for revenge is sated in the belly of a whale to the comforting domesticity of Angels and Angles. On The Bus Mall has already been posted but itās my favourite song, those gorgeous spools of guitar, the story of two young runaways, the things they do to get by, their defiant pride and love for each other, every lineās a gem
And we laughed off the quick tricks
The old men with limp dicks
On the colonnades of the waterfront park
As four in the morning came on, cold and boring
We huddled close
In the bus stop enclosure enfolding
Our hands tightly holding
Down By The Water is another big favourite of mine, the obvious debt to R.E.M, Gillian Welchās brilliant backing vocals and again lyrics that to me sound super fresh, I really like the lustful protagonist being described as feeling 'round for fingers to get in between. Words that I had to look up here were Tow-head, Leda and gabardine. Itās a common observation but quite a lot of Decemberists songs end in watery graves.
Their first six albums are all really enjoyable, Picaresque is probably my favourite. Iām slightly surprised they arenāt generally more fondly regarded but then they have been quite static for the last 10 years, Iāve kept listening to them in that time so Iāve hardly noticed time moving on I guess. Iāve enjoyed the two albums theyāve done in that time but they are increasingly more plodding, and even on their best records there were still some dull moments. I like Colinās voice but can also appreciate why it would turn people off too.
Got to give a mention to Carson Ellis, sheās done all their artwork and it feels essential to their identity, The Decemberists are a bit of a gift for an illustrator and her work is fabulous. Her childrens books are beautiful too, as is Illimat, the boardgame the band and Carson developed with Twogether studios. Itās fun to play as well.
I had a great time bellowing out Mariners Revenge earlier I tend to score by how much I like the best bits, itās going to be a 5
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Tha i never got to a gig there but they had some random stuff on there. Itās pretty much Bristolās own Phoenix Club, only with the occasional brilliant indie gig
Ive only been there to play skittles, which says a lot about the place
Decemberists. I have one album. Its really good, ive heard a bit of the rest of their stuff, its Ok. Have been to see them live. One of the most fun gigs ive ever been to. Would see again
7/10 rounded up to 4
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I first started listening to them when I fell in love with Neutral Milk Hotel and was searching for similar, havenāt really listened since Picaresque though (which I did really enjoy).
Gave them a 3, good but not excellent.
I remember going to London for a week on 2006 to watch Decemberists, Shins, Spoon, Dungen & New Pornographers.
One of the most fun weeks of gig going Iāve ever had
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Could have just posted this sentence at the start of the thread and saved us 100 posts tbh.
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Iāve always wondered who gets to pick the tracks for these kinds of albums, wondering if they have another āHurtā on their hands. see also: Glen Campell covering GBV. But this a pretty nice cover regardless
One of my top five bands of all time, if not top three.
I didnāt actually like them that much at first. I got bought Picaresque and struggled to get past his voice; I listened to The Crane Wife and thought it was a bit of widdly prog nonsense.
Two things made it fall into place for me though. First was seeing them live. Had no idea what to expect but they are one of the most joyful and life-affirming live acts. And who doesnāt enjoy making actions like the jaws of a whale?
The second was parenthood. Itās not their strongest album but The King Is Dead said all the right things at a time I needed it the most. I remember my eldest having such a rough time at pre-school, and we didnāt know she was autistic yet, and I remember listening to Dear Avery (āthere are times life will rattle your bones and will bend your limbsā) and just being floored by it. So thereās a whole bunch of memories and feelings linked to their music and I struggle not to tear up a bit when I hear the eldest singing them around the house.
Incidentally, the Decemberists are one of only two acts who the whole CCB household enjoys. Of course some of the subject matter isnāt particularly suitable for younger children but when they mistakenly sing āspending all your money on the Horse And Houndsā I donāt correct them. We play January Hymn in the car all January, and June hymn all June. They have such a good way with both word and melody, and thereās rarely a time where I donāt fancy listening to them.
They do give a fair amount of ammunition to their critics, what with Meloyās voice (which I love) and their flowery use of language (which I also love too). And their last album was patchy at best. So Iām not expecting them to score highly. But theyāre a clear 5 from me, even if Iād have given them a 2 on first listen.
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Can we guess the other? Is it Sufjan?
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Yes! I forgot to say. I think theyāre quite similar in a lot of respects.
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Iāve still never heard him so I canāt comment but I love what an in-depth knowledge I seem to have about the ccb household.
Yes, I probably overshare a bit 
You should do something about not having listened to Sufjan.
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I should. Someone made me a primer during his HGATR but I never got around to it.
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Love this one, yet more death by water, it feels like a throwback to Hazards. I just finished listening to Iāll Be Your Girl, donāt think I have since around when it came out, a very peculiar album. Iām glad they tried new avenues even if one led them to glam rock and a kids choir. Really like Severed and the title track too.
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Interesting thread for a periodically interesting band. I can only echo what most have already said, in that I got into them around Picaresque, absolutely love about 10 of their songs, and havenāt listened to them much post-Crane Wife.
I revisited both those albums today and they still stand up, and the thread also reminded me of this late-career showstopper, so cheers for that:
And the anchorperson on TV / goes la di da di da
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