Record Rewind: 'The Crane Wife' By The Decemberists

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Record Rewind: 'The Crane Wife' By The Decemberists

On Nov 25, 2011

In 2006, The Decemberists were freshly signed to Capitol Records. There is an ominous moment when a band, considered by many to be indie-folk heroes, suddenly decides to make a debut LP on a major recording label. But that’s exactly what The Decemberists did, and boy did they pull it off. The Crane Wife, like most of the material written by Colin Meloy, weaved many tales amidst its refined style and composition. What struck audiences in particular was despite the fact that Capitol Records backed this new LP, stylistically the band showed no signs of compromising their music or their messages in any way. In fact, The Crane Wife is one of the most focused and well-produced albums the band has ever released, right up next to The Hazards of Love, which was released three years later in 2009.

The Crane Wife’s ability to incorporate a literary significance to its lyrics, makes the music transform. Take the opening track, “The Crane Wife 3.” Based off an old Japanese folk tale, Meloy’s sense of grieving love and heavy-handed romanticism gain an authoritative allusion to a real story that was passed down for many generations. The music itself drives out of the speakers, unlike The Decemberists’s previous albums, displaying some of the best production The Decemberists ever had.

“The Island, Come and See” comes next. This is the point when critics found out that The Decemberists weren’t going to be dumbed down by mainstream success, they were going to use it to change music. “The Island” is a stark, new direction from what loyal Decemberist fans were used to hearing. Based off Shakespeare’s last, mysterious play, The Tempest, Meloy’s thematic lyricism cleverly layers over the constantly evolving shades of music. This wasn’t just folk music anymore. It was rock, with a layer of progressive intellectualism giving a new rise to a more mature strength in Meloy’s theatrical song writing style. The second part of “The Island” is a medley riff of intense eighth note jamming as Meloy’s falsetto musings shine over an incredible mix of powerful drumming and percussive organs before crashing away into a fluttering acoustic guitar fingerpicking part. Meloy’s solemn voice rises and sinks as orchestral layerings of strings transform the chorus-like changes.

The beauty of The Crane Wife was the quality of its constant dynamism. Meloy displayed material that reflected the reaching of his peak as a composer. There is also a true camaraderie in Crane Wife that you can hear in the band’s playing. Everyone is getting behind the songs, everyone is playing their part. This is truly one of the best albums of the 2000’s.