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[Akeboshi]

Ok, so I think it's safe to say that everyone, or nearly everyone, here is a fan of The Decemberists.  If not, then you should at least respect them.

That small introduction now aside, I have just listened to the new series of six songs entitled as a whole "Always the Bridesmaids" (coughsordocough).  All I can say, out my incredible love and respect for this band, is

What.
The.
Shit.

Make no mistake.  I have seen them live four times.  I have all of their albums.  I plan on buying the new album that they've spoken about releasing in 2009.  This little album of 6 songs, however, is mostly awful.  Honestly, it sounds like pop-rock with Colin Meloy thinly veiling the fact that he too thinks these lyrics/music are terrible.  I would like to get some other opinions on this if I could.  I don't like bashing one of my favorite bands, but at the same time I don't like letting said favorite band skull-fuck me while I cringe at every guitar chord.  I will however concede, track 5 entitled "Record Year" is pretty good.

I simply hope this pop-rock grossness is not where the new album is headed...

[geffyb]

Ok, so I think it's safe to say that everyone, or nearly everyone, here is a fan of The Decemberists.  If not, then you should at least respect them.

That small introduction now aside, I have just listened to the new series of six songs entitled as a whole "Always the Bridesmaids" (coughsordocough).  All I can say, out my incredible love and respect for this band, is

What.
The.
Shit.

Make no mistake.  I have seen them live four times.  I have all of their albums.  I plan on buying the new album that they've spoken about releasing in 2009.  This little album of 6 songs, however, is mostly awful.  Honestly, it sounds like pop-rock with Colin Meloy thinly veiling the fact that he too thinks these lyrics/music are terrible.  I would like to get some other opinions on this if I could.  I don't like bashing one of my favorite bands, but at the same time I don't like letting said favorite band skull-fuck me while I cringe at every guitar chord.  I will however concede, track 5 entitled "Record Year" is pretty good.

I simply hope this pop-rock grossness is not where the new album is headed...

link? mediafire?

[DarkAvenger]

Code: [Select]

http://www.mediaf!re.com/?yznz5yjylj1
Provided, sorry if you were going to do it Akeboshi

I'll also post it in the mediaf!re thread. And as usual just change the ! to an i



Edit: Just listened to it again... it's mediocre for The Decemberists... But yes "Record Year" is pretty good. Kind of reminds me of Colin's solo non-covers album (Colin Meloy Sings Live! Not some obviously-would-be-insanely-awesome studio album he put out... Sadly)

[Tom]

1st song, "Valerie Plame" sounds exactly like any other poppy Decemberists' song and the horn section part reminds me of 16 Military Wives. Fun and catchy, I like it.

Who's singing on the cover of the Velvet Underground, "I'll Stick With You" apart from Meloy? Could it be Jenny Conlee?

"O New England" sounds  a lot like "Everything I Try To Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right".

All in all, it's an entertaining distraction but nothing overly fantastic. Can't wait to here the next two though.

[Johnny C]

the ! is a google wildcard i guess so we gotta start changing that shit

[conn]

Valerie Plame is simple, but fun and catchy. I enjoyed it, but I would have cut the last minute and a quarter- it really gets repetitive and plain annoying very quickly.

I actually really like Days of Elaine. It's quick and upbeat, and I find I prefer those kinds of songs from the Decemberists.

O New England isn't bad, but largely forgettable.

I plain just don't like I'm Sticking With You. Ugh, it just rubs me the wrong way.

Record Year is pretty great, yeah.

Raincoat Song is just like O New England- not bad, but forgettable.

Overall, it's a relatively mediocre output from the Decemberists. It... sort of seems like all the songs are b songs- in that none of the songs really stand out amongst the others.

[FaultyRiot]

i can't open the mediaf!re file after i download it...

[DarkAvenger]

Did you unzip it?

If not there are many programs you can download to unzip it.

[FaultyRiot]

What would be one of those? I've actually not been able to get mediaf!re albums because of this on multiple occasions.

[Melodic]

WinRAR.

[phantompenguin]

Valerie Plame is simple, but fun and catchy. I enjoyed it, but I would have cut the last minute and a quarter- it really gets repetitive and plain annoying very quickly.

I actually really like Days of Elaine. It's quick and upbeat, and I find I prefer those kinds of songs from the Decemberists.

O New England isn't bad, but largely forgettable.

I plain just don't like I'm Sticking With You. Ugh, it just rubs me the wrong way.

Record Year is pretty great, yeah.

Raincoat Song is just like O New England- not bad, but forgettable.

Overall, it's a relatively mediocre output from the Decemberists. It... sort of seems like all the songs are b songs- in that none of the songs really stand out amongst the others.

Those are a lot of insightful comments you have there.


I don't know what you guys are on about, I don't listen to the decemberists that much but based on the first track this sounds more or less like everything I've heard from them - simple and fun to the point of feeling like powerpop, relying on unabashedly conventional and melodic composition and a whole lot of fun sounds in the arrangement.  Just listening to the first track, they throw a lot of eggs into this basket but they've been doing it (again, more or less the same thing) for so long repeatedly that they know how to make it all work.  Horns, keyboards, etc. all pretty well executed.  The bassline is borderline-insufferably bouncy and optimistic, but that's how it goes for them, isn't it?

I find Colin meloy's voice really annoying btw.

edit
oh i forgot to say the one thing i really like - colin meloy writes really good tunes!  and if it weren't for that this band would have zero appeal to me.

[ashashash]

The lyrics to "Valerie Plame" seem really sub-par.

"I'm Sticking With You" kind of started out sounding like something the Magnetic Fields would do, but I got vaguely irritated by it and didn't listen to the end.

I don't know how I feel about these songs yet, actually.  I'll listen to them a few more times and see if they grow on me I guess.

[MobyDickhole]

if it wasn't already mentioned, 'I'm sticking with you' is a cover of a song by the velvet underground. it was recently featured in Juno

And I really like 'Valerie Plame'

And you have to remember, this is not the LP, these are essentially B- Sides.
The stuff Colin has lined up for the album is really good.
He's been playing some of it at his solo shows.

The song Burying Avy is probably my favorite that I've heard, because it's AWESOME.:
http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/mp3/Colin%20Meloy%2001%20Burying%20Avy.mp3

More:
http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2008/08/15/six-new-songs-by-the-decemberists/