Castaways and Cut-Outs and Imitation Vanilla
Overall Album Score: 9.4 out of 10 Well, I’m officially amazed! I was never too impressed with recent, 00s, music, but listening to Castaways and Cut-Outs by The Decemberists as well as some other stuff, it only goes to establish my faith in the way music seems to be going. (Really, the only real piece of evidence I was using to say that music is going to pot is Britney Spears and other crap queens like her.) This album takes a post-modern-pop approach to 19th century folk music. When the 19th century folk stuff is obvious, we might get stuff that sounds like gypsy music, old sea-dog music, or genuine folk. There are other songs that simply sound like standard 00s alternative-rock, but there is clearly a theme here. The lyrics also have 19th century ties. And, really, these lyrics are great if you want to take the time to read them … which you should. Most importantly, though, are The Decemberists consciousness of melody. The greatest recent bands that I’ve ever heard are able to and do write nice melody. Well, they don’t have the God-given melodic talent of Paul McCartney, but they are at least successful when they try to write melody. The arrangements are even good! They never go overboard and they usually don’t get to minimal. I like the voice of the lead singer, Colin Maloy, too. It sounds really similar to Al Stewart, except it’s a bit edgier. I think Stewart has one of the greatest voices ever in pop music, so the fact that I’m comparing Maloy’s voice to his should be a compliment! Every song on here got a score between an 8.5 and a 10, so clearly, these guys have sense. This debut released only in 2002, I can certainly expect some great things from The Decemberists in the near future, and I will be sure to keep my eye out for them. Overall Album Score: 9.4 out of 10 (Wow! If a band from the 00s decade is able to produce such an amazing album such as this, then I’ve got to listen to more music from the 00s. … Amazing.) Average Song Score: 9.2 (This is an alarmingly high score for such a brand new band … It gives me hope for the future of music!) Album Tilt: 9.5 (A great, great album … remarkably consistent and remarkably entertaining. I’d certainly put this on your must-look-into list.) Artist Rating: 9.5 (Amazingly strong! It’s both musically and lyrically interesting and entertaining. Phenomenal.) Track Reviews Leslie Anne Divine 9/10 A verrrry strong opening, this mid-tempoed song has a fairly catchy melody and a rather well developed atmosphere. The musical arrangements, also, are really quite nice. This is a very well-done post-modern pop song! (Quite plainly, this was influenced by the alternative-pop movement ushered in by bands such as They Might Be Giants in the late 80s and early 90s.) This has a great melody, though. That’s the most important thing. Here I Dreamt That I Was an Architect 9/10 Really snappy, this song is. The rhythm section keeps this song going, even though the melody might not be perfectly memorable. (But the melody is pretty good, anyway!) This would sort of be jangle-pop, I suppose. This is another very well-done song by The Decemberists. (Oh! And what would a track review of “Here I Dreamt That I Was an Architect” be without a George Costanza reference … BABY!) July, July! 9/10 This is a loudly stated sort of anthemic song … and I think this is a good song. I’m not sure why this is better than anything else on the album (it seems to be a critical favorite) … maybe that’s just because this sounds the awesomest when you crank up the volume, sucka! A Cautionary Song 8.5/10 Gypsy music! … … Stupid gypsies! I hates gypsies! They stoled my baby! … … Alright, they didn’t really steal my baby, but they did steal The Decemberists’ rock-and-roll … which wasn’t really a bad thing, because this song is pretty good. It has a pretty catchy melody, and the lyrics are entertaining, so … there’s no reason to complain about not’ing. Odalisque 9.5/10 I wish I had an odalisque … … Oh wait, I bet those things are illegal here in the U.S. … um … I don’t really want one, anyway. I was just kidding. Uhhhh … Well, hey! This song is pretty slow and moody. Hmmm … Well, if this song is going to be moody, then I’ll just return the feeling. *ARGH, ME MATEY!* Stylistically speaking, this is easily the most creative and complex song of the album thus far in the album (which is why I’m giving this one a 9.5), but this really isn’t so much more entertaining than anything else, either. Cocoon 9/10 Absolutely gorgeous! … … (I can’t believe how consistent this album is. Everything seems to be dwelling around the 9-score.) This is a pretty and slow piano-led song. It’s not phenomenally memorable or uplifting (which accounts for the reason it’s not getting a 10), but it is phenomenally engaging! It has this great epic feel to it. Grace Cathedral Hall 9.5/10 STOP IT WITH ALL THE EXCELLENT SONGS!!!! … Okay, wait, don’t stop it. Reviewing this album is a bit of a breath of fresh air to me, and I’m enjoying the heck out of it! … “Grace Cathedral Hall” is basically post-modern pop with just a tiny bit of country in it. The melody is super great here in my opinion! The Legionnaire’s Lament 10/10 What’s with this??? Is the album getting better or something??? The melody, harmonies, and the arrangements are all top-notch quality. The bouncy texture of the song makes it entertaining … and … CRAP! … This is another excellent, excellent song from this band. I can’t help but give this song a 10. It’s too entertaining. Clemetine 8.5/10 This is a very engaging old fashioned type folk song. (The arrangements are minimal.) The slow pace of the song might make it plodding to some, but I find it to be quite engaging! … Not everyone’s able to do this. The Decemberists might actually have something called “talent!” … Wow! Now, that’s a new concept! California One / Youth and Beauty Brigade 10/10 Well, as if The Decemberists can’t leave the album before leaving us subject to an extremely lengthy track! … This one clocks in at just under 10 minutes! … Well, wait a minute. The Decemberists don’t fall into the same trap as a lot of other artists. Too many would pick the worst song to drag on forever, because it’s used as album-filler. The Decemberists, on the other hand, choose their most engaging and alluring melodies to drag on forever … and CRAP! This is such a great song! It comes in multi-parts, but they all fit together beautifully. … Really, if these guys are able to keep writing such high quality music, they will go places. Are you a castaway and want to go back to the mainland? E-mail me a comment about this album here, and I'll send over a helicopter. |
All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. He's a great, great, wonderful, great man!
