Has anyone heard it or have any opinions? I have been awaiting this release for quite some time now and have refrained from downloading or even previewing it.

I've been listening to the new one for a while now, and so far I think it might be the best new music I have heard this year. I'm not really convinced that the versions that are floating around for download are the final versions of the songs, although I have no reason behind this other than that they just sound a little bit rough.

Thanks alot keylimetrev. That is great news. From what i've read, it's been getting mixed reviews so I was a little worried.

i really like the new album. Just as good as anything else they have released.

The songs I've heard off it are pretty strong. I'll probably wind up getting the album.

The critics actually like it so far, for what it's worth:

Picaresque (Metacritic.com)

I've had it for a while actually, and just bought it yesterday. It's terrific, and is tied for my favorite album of 2005 with Justamustache by Thunderbirds Are Now!

OK, I'm gonna admit my ignorance. Someone tell me a little about the Decemberists. I keep seeing rave reviews, but I've never heard the band and I really don't know anything about their sound. What do they sound like? Gimme some info...my curiosity is piqued by the wave of admiration here on the Forums (and in the press) for Picaresque.

I think Neutral Milk Hotel is the obvious and most common reference point. I don't think any of their albums are as good as Airplane Over the Sea, but the lead singer, songwriter has a really unique lyrical style. His songs are pretty much little short stories about pirates and other quirky types of characters from history set to really strong folk-pop melodies. Basically, if you like a lot of the elephant 6 bands like NMH and Of Montreal, you probably would enjoy the Decemberists.

Thanks for the info, all! I picked up Picaresque and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I guess I see why people offer Neutral Milk comparisons, but I like it MUCH better than I liked NMH. I think the Decemberists sound like/remind me of The Go-Betweens in spots, which is excellent.

I can kind of see the Go-Betweens in the Decemberists. I forgot the album that I think is the biggest influence on the decemberists- the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle.

quote:

Originally posted by keylimetrev:
I can kind of see the Go-Betweens in the Decemberists. I forgot the album that I think is the biggest influence on the decemberists- the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle.

That's a good one, too. There's a little bit of the English lit major snobbery to the Decemberists that the Go-Betweens have, at times. I guess that's why I think of them...

I thought I'd mention somewhere that I think 'Infanta' has some of the best music lyrics I've ever heard.

The amount of subtext contained in the last verse just floored me. "And the babe all in slumber dreams/of a place filled with quite streams/and the lake where her cradle was pulled from the water".

After we get the description of all the other nobles there with their daughters and wives, we find out that the 'Infanta' who is being set up for royalty was actually found abandoned on a stream and posed as royalty, probably because one of her 'parents' is barren and they needed a child to marry into greater royalty.

The Decemberists just...rule.

Best album of the year. End of story.

But, then again, I love The Decemberists.