The Decemberists, "The Crane Wife" (Capitol, 2006).
The highly-anticipated major-label debut from everybody's favorite lit-rockers. I've been listening to this thing since the day it was released, and that's the main point of this space: to share what I've been listening to. But I'm kinda torn here. Some days I love it; some days I'm skipping over many of the tracks. Cries of sell-out should properly be silenced by the righteous, 4-part, 12-minute-plus second track. But there's some kind of white person funk in some of the songs that makes me a bit uncomfortable. So for now, here is my line: this band is clearly one of the most important bands making music today. They've put something out that I partially do not understand. I don't believe in the ethos that "all great art must challenge," but I do realize that my lack of understanding is my issue, not the bands. The world needs this band. And a better percentage of the world will know this band with this album. So, welcome world.
