The Decemberists - Her Majesty

Meant for Applause, Not For Derision (* * * * 1/4)

The Decemberists' debut album Castaways and Cutouts found the band sailing smooth and only somewhat interesting waters. On the follow-up, Her Majesty, the waters are a bit more dramatic. Their ability to coast through them unscathed - in fact, stronger than before - is quite impressive. The storytelling is more profound, the pop songs more plentiful, and the character sketches - be they of daydreamers, gymnasts, soldiers, or chimbley sweeps - more fully developed.

The album begins with the wonderfully sparse and ominous "Shanty For the Arethusa". This is a tale of pirates who have their sights set primarily on the daughters and "dark and nubile" natives of South Australia or whatever their port of call might be. The song's tone is accentuated by Colin Meloy's portentous vocals and the spooky sound effects of creaking doors and pounding footsteps. If the listener were expecting this song to set the tone for the rest of the album, then he or she would justifiably anticipate a bumpy ride.

However, this yarn gives way to the delightful, summery Britpop of "Billy Liar", and then to the 70s adult contemporary-flavored "Los Angeles, I'm Yours". This is already twice as many pop songs as the debut had, and these aren't the only ones. A few songs later comes the uncharacteristic power-pop tune "Song For Myla Goldberg", which even includes some New Wave keyboards.

Despite their prog-rock inclinations, The Decemberists smartly stick to mostly three- and four-minute songs. However, like Castaways and Cutouts, Her Majesty has two songs that are at least seven minutes long. The first of this is "The Gymnast, High Above the Ground", which has singer/songwriter Colin Meloy deep in storyteller mode. The same is true of "The Bachelor and the Bride", the don't ask/don't tell-camaraderie tale "The Soldiering Life" (which features an impressive trumpet fade-out), and the acoustic solo piece "Red Right Ankle", which - despite being the slowest song on the album - actually manages to inspire a bit of toe-tapping. The album kicks back into high gear with "The Chimbley Sweep", which brings back both the accordion from their first album and the sinister guitar of "Shanty For the Arethusa". There is also a brief and very effective inclusion of female vocals in the third verse.

Interestingly, the album doesn't reach its climax until the penultimate song. On the initially modest but ultimately bombastic "I Was Meant for the Stage", Meloy lays himself bare, knowingly declaring, "I was meant for applause/I was meant for derision". This is the second of the long songs on the album, going just past the seven-minute mark. (A couple of years ago, Meloy recorded an EP of Morrissey covers that he sold on tour. Should Moz ever hear this song, he might be tempted to partially return the favor.) Wisely, the album ends with the intentionally poorly-recorded, country-flavored "As I Rise", which calms things down a bit and clocks in at just over two minutes.

Castaways and Cutouts, for all its strengths, felt underdeveloped, failing to deliver any sort of knockout punch. Her Majesty fixes this, and then some. Granted, some (not all) of the mid-tempo numbers slow the album's momentum slightly. But overall, the songs are much more powerful and inspired than before. And those who were annoyed by Meloy's flaunting his huge vocabulary on the first album will be glad to know that he tones down that aspect of his songwriting on this album. Of the four Decemberists albums available as of the writing of this review, Her Majesty is probably the best introduction to this uniquely talented band.
August 27, 2008

Really freakin' good.

This album is great. It's full of emotion and it's great to both relax to or put on at a low key get together. September 21, 2007

Exotic Shanty Tunes and a Little Thing Called "TRUST"

I'll confess to having been a little trepidatious in giving HER MAJESTY a spin. After having heard the glorious success of CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS, this second Decemberists' disc seemed ripe for a sophomore jinx. And after listening to the lead track, the almost willfully obtuse "Shanty for the Arethusa," I was not encouraged.

Thankfully, "Shanty" did not prove to be a representative sample of HER MAJESTY's quality. The Portland (yay!) band's charm and talent came through convincingly on the majority of this album's material, though it's also true that this is a project that did not immediately seduce me as the band's earlier work did. But working a little to appreciate less accessible material is hardly daunting when the band is this talented. The listener knows that there is going to be a payoff; I guess that's a magical little bond called "trust" which the Decemberists' have now earned from me.

For pop music fans who read Dickens, or enjoy exotic shanty tunes with prominent accordion and organ parts... or for those of you who can enjoy a wry and lovely ode to a lover's ankle, HER MAJESTY is for you. August 2, 2006

Your day will come, indeed

Ah, to soar with the whirlwind love affair that is a Decemberists album... it's certainly something else. Indie to the last accordion, Colin Meloy and his motley band of maudlin musicians set out to top their phenomenal CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS - without success, I'm afraid, but that doesn't mean that this isn't worth a listen every bit as much as its predecessor is, because it is! This album marks the milestone of that nail-biter that is the sophomore record - will it slump? Impale itself on the swords of music critics everywhere, wither away and die in the back of the CD racks at Sam Goody? Or will it shine? Actually, HER MAJESTY is my beacon at sea.

Mellow acoustics, accordions, keyboards, and even the occasional trumpet are embroidered into the eleven songs you see here, with the sturdy spine of drums that keep the musical body standing straight up. Nothing new here, really. Meloy still dazzles in storytelling and words that sixty percent of America's population will never use in their lifetime, but that's the roguish charm of it all. And he's getting better at his craft, evolving with his bandmates at a comfortable and exciting pace: the rat-a-tat drumbeat of "Song For Myla Goldberg," the head-bobbing, insanely catchy "Billy Liar," the almost country-ish, drawling "As I Rise."

There's just something about HER MAJESTY that doesn't quite measure up to the last one - I couldn't tell you what, because everything the Decemberists have put out generally sounds the same (that's not to say they don't try something different every now and then, however); the lyrics and music retain the same friendly companionship that makes this band an easy and absorbing listen, the same instruments are used... but I would consider this as your second outing if you have just delved into the world of the Decemberists. CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS remains untouched and perhaps unable to be topped as well - and heck, let's keep it that way. Don't judge, just listen. Your ears will thank you for it. June 7, 2006

To all the people who bash this record...

Aren't we all but the sums of our influences? Not listening to these guys because Neutral Milk Hotel "already did it" is stupid. You might as well not listen to Willie Nelson because Johnny Cash "already did it."

Make it a draw and buy this album AND Neutral Milk Hotel. Listen to them both and be amazed. June 2, 2006

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