New Vibrations: The Decemberists

It does not have to be December for you to enjoy the Decemberists, the indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon.  

After touring the world for their breakout LP The King is Dead, the band released a 6-song EP called Long Live the King (Capitol Records/EMI).

These 6 songs are outtakes from the recording sessions for The King is Dead at Pendarvis Farm.  The band plans to take a hiatus from touring and recording, and this EP marks the end of this period of activity.

The first song on the EP is "E. Watson," with backing vocals from Laura Veirs and Annalisa Tornfelt.

"E. Watson" is a simple ballad with simple guitar-strumming and the somber grumble of frontman Colin Meloy.

What makes this song and many others on The King is Dead appealing is the story they tell.

E. Watson stands for Edgar Watson, a man who the narrator has to bury, and "his dad [was] a martyred soldier / In the war between the states." The men need to bury Watson but natural forces will not let them.

"Trying to make it home before the night/ And the gray waves were rolling / Bold the brave, brave ocean and rolled us suckers in." This story about the Civil War is true folk music.

"Forgone" is the second song on the EP, with a much more upbeat feel.

The song is not about anything in particular, except for something that is relinquished. Perhaps it is a relationship that did not last.

An example of a lyric is the chorus, "And the ricks and the racks and the run / All the beats you believe that it's none." As if it does not hear the lyrics, the guitar riffs with a country twang in the background.

"Burying Davy" is mostly an instrumental with a ballad feel.

The entire song calls for people to help bury Davy, akin to "E. Watson." However, this song hides its old-fashioned tone under electric guitar riffs.

It does not fool anyone, however, as Meloy asks people to "put on your ten-pint bowlers" and "gather the screws and spades."

"I 4 U & U 4 Me" is a home demo, which is not obvious at all. The authentic voice sounds a bit distant, but does not detract from the song.

Meloy sings to a young woman who is leaving home, and explains to her that "It's I for you and you were made for me," so she should never leave his side.

The fifth song is a cover of the Grateful Dead's "Row Jimmy" and is very fitting — of course this band would cover a song by the Dead.

This version has a bit of a faster beat, although the back vocals of Jenny Conlee sound very similar to the original. The instrumental sounds very similar to that of the Dead.

Despite this, the vibrato of Meloy is very distinctive. His voice carries a lot of emotion with his riffs.

The last song is "Sonnet" with a lovely instrumental of horns. One of the slowest paced songs on the album, it gets slower as the horns progress, until it all fades away.

All of the songs on the EP and on the LP are perfect for singing by campfires or for background music on your way to class, depending on where you are when you chose to listen to them.

The Decemberists are kings of their own genre of folk rock and will be missed on their hiatus. However, they will be back by popular demand.

This EP further enforces this, and says Long Live the King. I say long live the Decemberists.