Melodies Rhapsodical

Sometimes little pieces of heaven fall upon your ears and there's nothing left to do but share the experience with those around you. This week I had the luxury of walking into a sale at my favorite cd shop and purchased a total of 12 cd's. Amongst these gems is a truly remarkable find: The Decemberists, Picaresque. This offering, headed by the outrageously talented singer/songwriter Colin Meloy, is both exciting and overwhelming. The opening track, the infanta, is a showcase for Meloy's astounding linguistic prowess as well as his ability to create vast imagery (which will undoubtedly remind you of Led Zepplin). Throughout the album, we are treated to epic story telling, matched brilliantly by an old English folk style, mixed with an unmistakable indie tone. The track the sporting life , which has been compared to Belle and Sebastian, is also heavily influenced by The Smiths, Placebo, as well as The House Martins. It's been said that Meloy has a pet obsession with historical romance and the sea (which immediately had me thinking back to Mike Scott from the Waterboys) and is most notably evident through the giant tale the mariner's revenge song. The track the bagmans gambit is wonderfully intriguing, as our orator sings to us about forbidden love mixed with espionage. I felt as though the lyrics were ripped straight out of a crime novel. Like so many voices and sounds in our new indie generation, they really defy description, as they swell and crash like storm-bred waves upon your ears...you just have to surrender and listen. I promise that this atmospheric cd will provide you with the right amount of escapism and will leave you feeling totally satisfied.