Product Description

The Decemberists' third full-length release takes the fanciful lyrical subjects and defiantly non-rock musical tendencies of CASTAWAYS AND CUT-OUTS and HER MAJESTY THE DECEMBERISTS and infuses them with the more muscular and electric soundof the 2003 mini-concept album, THE TAIN. The combination provides singer/songwriter Colin Meloy and crew with their first true masterpiece, an album that not only fulfils, but exceeds, the promise of their earlier records. Meloy's pet obsessions with historical romance and the sea get their due, culminating in the nearly nine-minute suite "The Mariner's Revenge Song," but he also examines more real-world topics in the Morrissey-like portrait of runaway teenage hustlers "On the Bus Mall" and the embittered social commentary of "16 Military Wives." The true highlights, however, are the sarcastically jaunty Kinks-like shuffle "The Sporting Life," a first-person tale of dishonour on the playing fields set to the record's most insidiously catchy tune, and the churning opener, "The Infanta," where Meloy's linguistic over-achievements mesh surprisingly well with Chris Walla's assertive, harder-edged production.

Track Listing

1. The Infanta
2. We Both Go Down Together
3. Eli, The Barrow Boy
4. The Sporting Life
5. The Bagman’s Gambit
6. From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)
7. Military Wives
8. The Engine Driver
9. On The Bus Mall
10. The Mariner’s Revenge Song
11. Of Angels and Angles

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17846 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-08
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

great introduction to a great band
I came to this album backwards, as it were, after first hearing The Crane Wife, the Decemberists' subsequent work of genius. Given this, it would be very unfair to judge Picaresque by those standards.

Having said all that, Picaresque is a really, really good album. The quality of the songwriting shines through consistently, and the lyrics are superb. The Decemberists deal in stories, slices of life filled with characters sketched perfectly in just a few lines. The high points for me on this album are the simpler moments- Eli the Barrow Boy, The Engine Driver- but really, it's all great.

The music is kind of folk. I say kind of, because I wouldn't want anyone to be put off by that label. Yes, there is one 'traditional' tale of the sea, but great story songwriting doesn't reallly need a genre tag.

If I was being really picky, the songs do sound a bit samey- not an issue with the Crane Wife- and the beginning and ending are somewhat weaker than the middle. But that would be harsh. This isn't quite a five star album but it's very close. Picaresque is a joy and if you haven't taken the plunge with the Decemberists yet, you really should.

Blame a music magazine...
How long ago now, two years? Yet still I can play this album and never be bored with a single song. I was introduced to the Decemberists through some music magazine give-away freebie CD featuring "We go down together" that got me looking into them. I stretched to the full £10 for the album - and to be honest I'd now be happy to have paid more. The album has joined me on 4 cross atlantic trips as well as making a regular and routine appearance on my MP3 player.

Not a single tune can be found fault with - and after finding palanquin and pachoderm within the first 2 verses I hope you'll also be entranced by the variety and depth of literary references.

It's a theatrical tour-de-force with each song worth a video to tell the tale - and those that were made are worth looking up on Youtube!

Find him, bind him, tie him to a pole and break his fingers.
Colin Meloy is an excellent songwriter. "Picaresque" is extremely varied and a very entertaining album which reveals more of itself with every listen. There's the anthemic opener "The Infanta", and the radio-friendly "We Both Go Down Together", who's opening string section is great. Two very dark but brilliant tracks are "Eli The Barrow Boy" and "From My Own True Love". "Engine Driver" is another well-balanced number which wouldn't be a million miles from home on a more subdued Weezer album, and the piano in the background works to great effect. "On The Bus Mall" is an infectious, dreamy work of art, too.

Needless to say, it is worth buying this album just for the phenomenal "The Mariner's Revenge Song", which tells the story of a man who's mother's tearaway husband leaves her in debt. Her dying words are basically "avenge me and kill him", so the man sets out looking for him and the song tells the story of his life and the fateful confrontation with the said tearaway after being swallowed by a whale. Think Moby Dick takes on Pinocchio takes on pirates. At almost nine minutes it's an excellent fantasy epic which deserves all the attention it gets. It's also the best use of an accordion (if there is actually one used- a damn good impersonation if there isn't) I can think of.

A couple of tracks seem a little flat, and "The Sporting Line", for example, is possibly a little repetitive, but this record should be part of any real indie fan's collection. Highly recommended.