KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: * * * *
Oregon five-piece the Decemberists have been playing gutsy folk-rock for years but this is their major label debut. The Crane Wife takes its name from a Japanese tale about a man who marries a bird; the band refers to the Russian Decemberist Revolt as much as America's winter.
That should give you an idea of singer-songwriter Colin Meloy's literary approach to storytelling. Among the 10 tracks, he sings of romance in war-time, of cleaver-sharpening deviants and of the crane. Thanks to Meloy's innocence and the band's ear for a solid groove, the songs are never grim. The Island, a three-part prog-rock, 10-minute-plus epic, has all the grunt of the Queen Mary; The Perfect Crime shows you can play the blues and still dance like a loon in the gallows.
Meloy's creations are perfectly formed pop songs. His pastiche of rock'n'roll, rape and murder give gorgeous ballads a dark edge. It may only be March but the Decemberists are worth toasting early.
Verdict: The year's best whisky-drinking album by a country mile
Label: Capitol
