The Decemberists

Probably the Decembrists' most literate and imaginative release to date -- which is saying a lot if you're familiar with their dense storytelling. Musically, the group sounds tighter, fuller and more soulful than ever before. That said, it's Colin Meloy's lyrical explorations that hold the most interest.

Opening with a parade, ending in a double suicide and climaxing with a murder in the belly
of a whale, Picaresque is a triumph of theatrical imagination: the culmination of the
Decemberists' steady march to greatness in four years of enriched storytelling and
folk-rock invention. Singer-songwriter Colin Meloy has never been shy about the Morrissey
and Melville inside his melodies. But here he turns on his inner Tom Waits and Fai... More >