I've been somewhat of a fan of The Decemberists in the past, "Picaresque" had a few tracks I liked, but others I didn't care for at all. "The Crane Wife" really sold it for me, with a bit more mainstream sound but without losing the quirky style The Decemberists are known for. It makes me appreciate their older work more, but for me "The Crane Wife" is by far their best work yet. The Decemberists employ unique lyrics and beautiful music to make memorable tunes, very similar to what I find appealing about Death Cab for Cutie. This album works especially because it begins on a strong note: "The Crane Wife 3" and "The Island are incredibly good pieces, and ends brilliantly as well with "The Crane Wife 1 & 2" (best song on the album) and the very catchy "Sons & Daughters." And if you have the bonus tracks, I love the piano and organ sound of "After the Bombs." I could listen to it over and over. The songs in between are a bit less replayable, but the arrangement works well enough to keep me listening to the whole thing.

One of the best bands to come out in the last 10 years! Colin Malloy is in my opinion a musical genius that comes around every decade or so. there are so many musical styles in his writing that make it so hard to pin down the style of music you are listening to. I have heard a lot of music over the years as I grew up in the fabulous Beatle era, not that I would compare the Decemberists to the Beatles, but if your looking for something completely different and intelligently written and performed than this album or even their previous albums are for you!

Great music, especially like the title song...My granddaughter dances to it, she's only two and loves it. That's what prompted me to buy it, my son lives in Portland, OR and is an avid music critic and thought this was one of the best albums he ever bought!

In their hey day, my teenage son & I both enjoyed The Decemberists. The Times They Are A-Changin'! My son, now 20, has become an adult and money being tight, I suppose, he did not immediately purchase The D's major label debut. It might have also been a bit of fear factor. I had hoped the switch to a major label might help them to relax & allow them more time to flesh out what had always been some great music! My son had hoped "they still play good tunes!!"! Recently, I did chance upon The Crane Wife. Feeling nostalgic, I purchased it for him. He is a bit more forgiving and says the album is okay. I, on the other hand, find the sound and attitude a bit pretentious. Elitist, if you will. It happens to the best of them. Maybe they thought because they are now on a major label they have to show the label they are worth the big bucks and the fans how much bigger they have become. Hopefully, they will realize the error and crawl back into the KillRockStars studio, reread The Crane Wife and have themselves a nice bite of mea culpa to go with their green tea. Also, in the future, they should first understand a philosophy before they attempt to emulate it.

If you like Death Cab for Cutie you will love the Decembrists. Except the Decembrists in my opinion are more in depth and have better vocals.

This was the first Decemberists album I listened to, and im currently going through the others.
I can't put my finger on it...but something makes me love this album. It's so unlike anything I've heard, lyrically that is, that I can't help but play it over and over. The images that come up while listening to this are incredible. The first two tracks are perfect for each other (i must have listened to them 5x the rest of the songs) ... the 3 and 4 tracks are good stand-alones...5 is catchy, 6 is my least favorite and doesn't provide any good intro to 7, which is a great eerie song... 8 is good, 9 is great (I love the longer songs).... 10 is a bright song, but a little out of place. Overall though, this album is one of my favorites, although it starts off much stronger than it ends...still great though.

Ouch. I bought this album because of some promising reviews. I listened to it on head phones numerous times, really trying to feel it. To get it. But I just can't. It comes off as Jethro Tull hijacked by the most tedious English teacher of all time. I truly hate this record. I don't get how this qualifies as "indie." It is so derivative and lackluster--devoid of coolness.

Its a great cd and it plays on my stereo. However, my MAC computer refused to play it or upload it to my itunes, which was extremely frustrating and the purpose for buying the cd. This, however, is not the fault of the seller. Thats my only issue.

I bought THE CRANE WIFE the day it was released, listened to it once after loading it onto my iPod, was not impressed, and proceeded to forget about its existence. I already owned both PICARESQUE and CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS and enjoyed both, but this one seemed on first listen to be less exciting than either of those. I was wrong. I can't explain why I didn't give this more attention when I first got it, but we are all prone to moments of idiocy. I now consider it not only the best album by the Decemberists.

If I've had a problem with the band in the past, it stemmed largely from the theatricality of Colin Meloy's songwriting. After all, who else in rock would write such an ornate song as PICAREQUE's "The Infanta," about the procession train of a young Spanish princess? I found him so baroque at times as to border on gaudy. THE CRANE WIFE is far less dramatic than the previous albums, which is why on first listen it seemed less impressive than the earlier efforts. After all, if what most distinguished the band in the past was its excesses, by extension wasn't an album more moderate in tone something of a diminished thing? But more often than not, less is more.

When I finally gave this album another chance, I was immediately stunned by how lovely the songs all were. All of them are at least good, while several are extremely gorgeous. The best are as seductive and as beautiful as Belle and Sebastian at their best. "O Valencia" is irrestibly melodic with wonderful soaring choruses. The improbably titled "The Island-Come & See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel The Drowning" (yes, that is the title for a single song) is one of the band's best songs ever, with the always literate Meloy writing such lovely lines as "The curlews carve their Arabesques." But really, all the songs are outstanding.

Since finally allowing myself to rediscover the album, I've been listening to it remorsely. I give it my strongest possible recommendation.

This CD does not have a bad song on it. The storytelling style is the hallmark of the Decemberist's music and I like how there is a theme that ties the music together. Desires, love lost, rage, mental illness. The music is usually a sweet, alternative style and the lyrics are dark and disturbing delivered in an innocent and sing-song way. A true contrast and this makes it captivating for me!

The Decemberists have been doing their thing for a few years now, but the first time I ever heard of them was from -- yep, you guessed it -- the Tonight Show. After checking out their older material, I decided to look into their major label debut, The Crane Wife.

Now, lead singer Colin Meloy has never had the most enthusiastic voice (he kind of reminds me of Damien Rice), but he and the rest of the band do handle things pretty well. But the album IS structured a little weird, considering that part 3 of the title track is the opening track, while parts 1 and 2 are the second-to-last track. Speaking of that, I never could understand why multiple songs that are obviously different are joined together as one long song rather than being separate songs (see also "The Island").

Another thing about the latter is that the final part, "You'll Not Feel the Drowning", lost me during the chorus that features: "Go to sleep, little ugly." But there are still some good songs like "Summersong", "Sons & Daughters" and all parts of the title track (hey, I didn't say they were bad). However, "Shankill Butchers" is downright disturbing.

Even though the Decemberists aren't for everyone, even diehard fans might say that this is their least accessible album. But that doesn't mean it's bad; however, you're probably better off seeing them in concert because they really seem to be more of a "performance" band (kinda like Arcade Fire). This album might take a few listens for you to really enjoy it; on the other hand, it's so crazy that it just might work.

Anthony Rupert

I think that this is a great album. All the songs tell some type of story that play with emotions but usually make you feel good and want to sing along.

In my opinion this CD is awesome, especially tracks 3 & 10. Listen to the samples to see what you think. If you want to hear an entire track and are on myspace.com, The Decemberists have a myspace page ([...])where you can listen to a couple entire songs from this CD and a couple other songs as well.

This album is more polished and produced than Her Majesty or Picaresque, with more careful orchestration, great keyboards, and epic song structure. At the same time, the songs are tuneful, with heady lyrics as always. It's a great addition to the body of work, and fans will grow to love the higher level of production. I highly recommend it.

Intelligent music. Catchy, with lots of layers. Literary lyrics. I'm greatly enjoying this new release of the Decemberists'.

This is better than most of the horse crap that plays on the radio, but it's only about 75% as good as their last album.

Very few let-downs in this album. I couldn't stop listening to it for months.

Bought based on a Clip on NPR - sadly the body of the work did not live up.
just boring, when not annoying. sory.

Very good piece of work. Some catchy tunes at the start and finish but after a few listens it's some of the lower key bits that really leave an impression. Anyone can enjoy this.

A sometimes dark, often beautiful, and always appealing masterpiece, it takes the best elements from their earlier work and ties it all together into a mesmerizing package. Not a bad song among the bunch, and unlike on Picaresque, the ambitious. multi-part epic tracks never slow or flag an inch. Pieced together with the intimate and the grand, they bring in the usual rogue's gallery of specific characters and give the whole thing a wry and literate treatment.

They even manage to swing away from their folk-rock roots by aping entertaining and unpretentious prog on the epic "The Island," organ-driven plastic blues on "The Perfect Crime," and rollicking classic rock on "When the War Came." Even a song like "Sons & Daughters," which is almost just a throwaway closer, has such a perfectly catchy rhythm and sublime round session, that it ends up being one of the most instantly memorable moments. Seems to be a transition period for the band, but if this hints at the direction they're choosing, I'm more than willing to follow. The best album of 2006.

Best cuts: "The Island," "The Crane Wife 3," "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)," "The Perfect Crime #2," "Sons & Daughters," "O Valencia!" "When the War Came," "The Crane Wife 1 & 2," "Skankill Butchers"

After a brief preview on Amazon I thought that the lead singer's voice would be difficult to listen to throughout the entire CD. I took a chance and I am pleasantly delighted that I purchased this CD. The Crane Wife has a Celtic story-telling feel to it that meanders through many different genres of rock with sweet pop hooks on a handful of songs. Suprisingly I hear some influences of Floyd and hints of 70's rock thrown into the mix. The lead-singer's voice is not as monotonous as I had envisioned. This is an excellent CD.

I would rate this as being one of the best of the Decemberists. I love how their music is on the upbeat side but their lyrics are abit on the dark side. And all the songs are telling a story. O Valencia and Shankill Butchers are excellent. I especially like Shankill Butchers because it is actually based on a real gang. Their songs are different than the typical junk that is floating around this days. So, if this so happens to be your first Decemberists experience, I'm sure you wont be disappointed.

This meloncholic dreamy ballard journey carries you away. the lead singers voice is mezmerizing. The stories are strange and the world they describe violent and full of loss and longing but the music, in a minor key is soothing, complex and rich. I hear the songs all day in my mind. My children, jaded teens have stolen the cd from me. It got album of the year on NPR and I can see why.

Really good, really good. I think you will like it. They retain their strengths (classical/Irish folk/rock influences, story telling (if hyper literate) and performance) and kick up the production values. By that I mean the engineering and recording of the performances. The tracks just jump out of the speakers at you, very thick and lush - almost 3-D. They have expanded their use of instruments to add a B-3 organ and even a Moog synth (Think Emerson, Lake & Palmer). There is a lot going on in each song, but you can hear everything, his vocals do not get buried. Think Radiohead production values (not as in sounds like, it doesn't, but in that level of detail to the elements of the song, performance and recording). There are two songs longer than 10 minutes (who does that anymore), but I only heard the first one (the second song). It is a big production number. It is clearly meant to showcase all of their strengths (add to the above; harmonies and use of acoustic instruments). I think they more than pull it off, but I stopped and started it over because they went a couple different places with it and lost me. The second time through I "got it" and really enjoyed it.

Forget all that; just listen and enjoy. Your kids will want this on their mp3 players.

PS - the 3rd song is a beautiful ballad, so they did not abandon that side of their personality.

The Decemberists have managed to pull up their Indie roots and head towards the mainstream of rock with their newest album, The Crane Wife. Their switch to Capital only strengthened an already solid hold on progressive rock and, with luck, The Decemberists will inspire a greater lyrical standard for other musical artists. They are rock for English majors and everyone else who enjoys a story with their music.

Witty, engaging, vivid, and even Epic, The Crane Wife helps The Decemberists arrive to the place most of their fans believed they were heading.

This album is amazing! Honestly, this should be the most talked-about album right now, but alas, it is not. Trust me when I say that this album (and the Decemberists) is the most genius thing right now in music. It's fun, adventurous, quirky, dark, exciting, and catchy. The Decemberists' style of music is very different, but they draw so many different inspirations from past musical styles yet still make it unique for listeners (perhaps most aided by Colin Meloy's nasally yet gleefully charming voice). Those who are decidedly more mainstream with their music will definitely be turned off by this, but I strongly encourage everyone to throw out their past schemas about what makes good music and listen to The Crane Wife (or any Decemberists' album). It's meant to be fun, with Colin Meloy and gang telling thrilling stories about murder, rape, and the ocassional suicide. This doesn't sound like fun, but the genius of this album and any Decemberists album is that they don't try to hint at any specific attitude--they just sing a song and tell a story, using ingenious lyrics to hint at certain moods and colors that should be painted in the listeners' mind. I won't list which songs are the best because the entire album is perfect--an experience that everyone needs to enjoy. Please, do yourself a favor, and listen to The Crane Wife, or any other Decemberists album or EP (Castaways and Cutouts, Her Majesty, Picaresque, 5 Songs, etc.). This is a band that needs to be recognized, because they are just too good for the world to ignore.

I have to thank the reviewer who wrote:

"It's like Robyn Hitchcock married Pink Floyd and their kids got masters degrees and hung out with REM and Fairport Convention."

I laughed. Great observation. There are in fact many excellent reviews of this album.

If you read the lyrics, you'll want to do research on a few words and references. It helps the album's inspiration come to life. I looked to Wikipedia to read what the story behind "The Crane Wife" is about. Great story - in the original folk tale a man nurses a wounded crane back to health, marries a woman, and loses the whole deal by getting greedy. There's more to it than that: just check it out.

The sheer craftsmanship of the musicians on this album is outstanding. You'll find a colorful variety of instrumentation and a moving dynamic between word and sound.

Joseph Campbell would be proud - this album is what keeping myth and folklore alive is all about. Classic stuff.

I wasn't too impressed with The Decemberists earlier albums, although I felt compelled to listen to them because so many critics raved about them. This album still has their characteristic folk-rock sound (with a few more electronic touches courtesy of Moog and Hammond) and poetic lyrics, but it sounds more polished (courtesty of Capital Records) and more mature--as if they've outgrown a prankish pose.

this cd is a musical masterpiece, they seem to find a topic for a song, and make the song sound like that topic, for example, the perfect crime sounds like it should be in the italian job or oceans 11, it is quite amazing. The decemberists are very talented, and the cd has a diverse range of sounds, all very good. Props on the shanekill butchers, that song is sweet!

I'll take "Castaways and Cutouts" any day. This CD actually bored me after becoming a huge fan of the Decemberists listening to their earlier works. They've gotten way too full of themselves with this album. The pieces are way too long and break no new ground. These songs could put you to sleep. I think it's their worst effort by far.

The Decemberists' latest album is simply magnificent. Consider the lyrics that open the three-part ballad "The Crane Wife":

It was a cold night
And the snow lay 'round
I pulled my coat tight
Against it falling down
And the sun was all...
And the sun was all down

With a marvelously delicate touch, lyricist Colin Meloy compares the falling snow to the "falling down" of a crane. This not only sharpens the image of the falling snow - it also conjures the soft, unguarded plumage of the Crane, who we know from the title to be his wife. This image projects the down of the bird into the sky all around, suggesting the celestial origins of his magical bride.

Then we get "the sun was all down". Again, it is magnificently understated, as it must be for the symbol to work and not to become a mere pun. Now we see the faded white sun of winter, the color of down, and the Crane is paired with a celestial image a second time.

The singer is exposed to both the cold and the dark, anticipating the solitude and regret to come. It is not for men to love the spirits of heaven, and yearning for such love takes them out of safety and into the elements.

This incredible complex of images - precise, subtle, and synergistic - is contained in the first stanza, which on its surface says no more than "It was cold and snowy, and it was getting dark."

I can think of few songwriters working today who can command images with such craft. In the Decemberists' latest (and best) album, Meloy shows himself to be master of a poetic vision of high caliber. And his words soar on the wings of infectious, melodic pop, with a hint of progressive rock in its structure and development.

This is the work of a mature band, whose vision has gelled into an immensely satisfying, unique creation. This is the best album I've heard in a long time.

"The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists portrays many varied tales, mostly sad or violent exploits, that Colin Meloy has woven from literature, popular culture, and no doubt, the recesses of a fertile imagination. If the lyrics sometimes seem forced, it's a trade-off worth making for the sake of presenting songs outside of the normal boring forays into love and love lost.

But the darkness of the soul that permeates The Island-Come & See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel The Drowning and the title track do not entice me to seek them out when I've got an hour to focus on just listening to music.

The better songs of this batch, including Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then), O Valencia!, and The Perfect Crime #2, allow the band to showcase their skills, revealing just how good The Decemberists can sound when not weighed down by pretension and artifice. Invariably, I am an impatient listener and prefer the music's energy to the stories' eclecticism.

As my starting point for the Decemberists' recordings, I think this one solidly merits three stars, probably even another half star, but I cannot canonize "The Crane Wife."

Alright, so this is the first Decemberist CD I got. I heard "16 Military Wives" and "Los Angeles I'm Yours" and I kinda fell in love with "16 Military Wives", so when I had some money I decided to get this CD (after all, a band that names themselves after the Decemberist revolt has to be pretty cool). Now I like it a lot, but it was not really what I was expecting and it definitely won't be for everyone. I'm not really that good at reviewing music so bear with me.

Now that I've listened to it enough to have a ridiculous number of the lyrics memorized. Mostly the music was pretty mellow compared to a lot of the things that I listen to. The lyrics are generally smart and interesting. Overall, I really like the CD and enjoy listening to it. It flows together really nicely and is nice to have in the background when I'm doing something like writing a blog entry. My favorite songs are "O Valencia!", "Shankhill Butchers" and "The Crane Wife 1 and 2".

Honestly, I pretty much think it's awesome.

I had heard a Decembrist song here and there over the years, but I was blown away by this album. The storytelling is excellent and embraces some pretty dark themes. The music is consistently stellar, whether reminiscent of i) the great 12 minute rock songs of the 70s (track 2) or ii) generations of folky Irish political anthems (the last track).

I couldn't resist this completely blind purchase because of the title. I did read the reviews and thought 4 out of 5 can't be thoroughly repulsive.
I'd never heard any of their stuff and I'm always looking for new art/music.
To make a long story short, I immediately liked the title track and thought the rest of the album was "student center fluff". My 5 year old daughter begged me to play it everytime we were in the car. She loves the story of the Crane Wife and the Shankhill Butchers.
Since her plees have forced the exposure, the more I play it the more I like it. It may not be an album I would put on for company because the lyrics don't lend them selves to conversation, but then that's perfectly alright too.