Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts

This is not their most recent release by far, but if you grok the theme of this site, you’ll understand why I reviewed this one instead of, say, Picaresque or The Tain or The Crane Wife. It has that quality that draws me in. That “bleak mystique,” to borrow a phrase from my distant past. I challenge you to listen straight through in headphones and not be moved. This may be the most perfect album by the most perfect band. The instrumentation, sometimes delightfully accented with accordian and pedal steel, all combine with the most perfect vocal expression of longing I have ever heard. His tonal qualities and unique inflection, just… Wow. My personal melting points are “Leslie Anne Levine,” “Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect,” “A Cautionary Song,” “Odalisque,” “Cocoon,” “Grace Cathedral Hill,” and the closing masterpiece, “California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade.” I just realized there are 10 tracks on the album and seven are my favorites. What does that say?

“I’ve heard of ghosts - good ghosts who wander the battlefields at night, guiding soldiers out of danger. You can see them almost anywhere, always warning of stray bullets and lurking enemies. If I were such a ghost … I would stay so close to you, you could feel my breath on your cheek.” - From the bridge of California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade.

Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews | July 2007