9.30.2008

The Decemberists :: "Valerie Plame"

Last we heard from The Decemberists, they were costing Capitol Records money (hey, Interpol, whose record can put this company in the red first? Ready? On three - go! ) and singing about Valencia. The Crane Wife ended up being critically better than Picaresque and yet somehow less satifsying. Then Colin Meloy went and toured on his own and released a live album. It kind of seemed like a "eff you" moment. It seemed like The Decemberists were maybe, a little done.

Fast-forward to 2o minutes ago and new Decemberist cut, "Valerie Plame" (admittedly, a b-side) spinning through my speakers. First reactions: it sounds exactly like you'd expect. It sounds like The Decemberists and Colin Meloy is hard to miss. The rhymes are cheeky and tight. It is just what you might think. There's sort of a "Hey Jude" sing-along there at the end. It's not a step up or forward or back. It's a step in place. All to the tune stomping tuba. But, in this case, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Listen :: The Decemberists - "Valerie Plame"

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