The Decemberists: Colin Meloy (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, percussion); Chris Funk (guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, bouzouki, hammer dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, percussion, background vocals); Eyvind Kang (violin, viola); Nate Query (cello, upright bass, electric bass, percussion, background vocals); Jenny Conlee (accordion, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ, pump organ, Moog synthesizer, glockenspiel, percussion, background vocals); Christopher Walla (keyboards, background vocals); John Moen (drums, percussion, background vocals); Steve Drizos (drums); Ezra Holbrook (background vocals).
In 2006, the Decemberists unveiled their Capitol Records debut, THE CRANE WIFE, after three albums for the indie label Kill Rock Stars. Happily, the revered Portland, Oregon-based crew, captained by singer/guitarist Colin Meloy, made the journey into major waters with their quirky, days-of-old sound firmly intact, as revealed on the wistful acoustic "The Crane Wife 3" and the more upbeat "O Valencia!" which stands out as one of the Decemberists' catchiest songs. The group also indulges in the more dramatic, narrative aspect of its aesthetic on two extended tracks that each pass the 10-minute mark, proving without a doubt that any potential corporate allegiance is far outweighed by the fascinating siren call of Meloy's own muse.

Rolling Stone (p.69) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[The] affectations are rendered tolerable by Meloy's unmistakable melodic gift....There's a kick in the way song after song masks his darkish vision in elegantly hooky arrangements..."
Rolling Stone (p.105) - Ranked #23 in Rolling Stone's "The Top 50 Albums Of 2006" -- "[W]ith electric guitars, prog-rock bravado and even Seventies funk..."
Spin (p.103) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[Meloy's] verses are sharp and smart....This is the best-sounding Decembrists album to date."
Spin (p.61) - Ranked #11 in Spin's "The 40 Best Albums of 2006" -- "[T]he band's emotive narratives...feel very much here and now."
Entertainment Weekly (p.68) - "Colin Meloy specializes in lurid historical dramas....Several of these studies in heartbreak and homicide rank among his most moving." -- Grade: B+
Q (p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "It's rendered intriguing by a liberated approach that touches on everything from sea shanties to Jewish klezmer music without ever losing sight of the tune."
Uncut (p.73) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[They are] twisting the esoteric into arresting and complex new shapes."
Alternative Press (p.188) - "[S]hrewder minds among us will be right at home with the complex wordplay and tragic love in 'O Valencia!' and the three-part title track, as well as the new wrinkles of prog rock and art-school funk..."
Magnet (p.93) - "THE CRANE WIFE is an admirable experiment, the work of a band approaching the thorny major-label issue by willfully mucking with a proven sound."
Q (Magazine) (p.78) - Ranked #28 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "[With] nods to nu-folk, baroque pop and even '70s prog."