The Decemberists-"We All Raise Our Voices To The Air" (Live Album)
I've never seen The Decemberists live, but i've heard from people I know that it's a good live show but that I shouldn't expect to be blown away. That's exactly the vibe I felt from this album. It's a good listen, especially if you're on a long drive. This was recorded in the period from April 2011-August 2011 so it is heavy with cuts from their latest LP "The King is Dead", an album that I adore.
20 tracks on 2 discs make for a long listen, but I absolutely love live albums. It starts off powerfully with "The Infanta" and "Calamity Song" right out of the gate. The middle of the set has a ton of highlights with "Down by the Water", "The Rake's Song", and "The Crane Wife 1, 2, and 3". "All Arise" and "Rox in the Box" set the stage for "June Hymn" as the original set closer, which is not a song I would go out on as it is a peaceful tune but one that kind of drags. They go out in style though with "O Valencia" with a interlude of "Dracula's Daughter", the rocking "This is Why We Fight", a 12 minute version of "The Mariner's Revenge Song", and a 10 minute "I Was Meant For The Stage".
Overall, I really enjoyed the album. My only complaint is there were about 3 or 4 times where I was losing interest. I want energy at a live show, and while this sometimes had energy, far too often it felt like an acoustic show. Not that a Colin Meloy acoustic show wouldn't be great. It's good, but only if you actually like The Decemberists. I would consider this a good jumping point though for someone who has never tried them out.
The sampler is below.
GRADE: 7/10
The Shins-"Port of Morrow"
I definitely had low standards set for this one. The Shins reintegrated their lineup, and I was expecting James Mercer to take some chances. I was dead wrong. This is an extremely safe record. The short and forgetable "The Rifle's Spiral" opens up the album, followed by the lead single "Simple Song". "It's Only Life" brings it on back down a little bit, but brings some interesting lyrics. I could be wrong, but it definitely gives off an angry vibe at perhaps his old bandmates or a past lover. I'm just speculating here. "Bait and Switch" comes next, a fast paced song about a guy finally getting his life in order when he finds himself in a relationship with a wild girl. Aside from "Simple Song", this is probably the most catchy song on the album. "September" is the midpoint and 5th track of the album, and really reminds me of something you'd find on Chutes Too Narrow or Oh Inverted World. It's a gem, as is the next track "No Way Down". Another one of the faster tracks on the album, a guilt-stricken song about civilization. The sleeper "For A Fool" follows with "Fall of 82'" after that. The latter being a nostalgic track, and very thankful song. "40 Mark Strasse" is a story about a prostitute that he still wants to be with despite the fact that she's a whore. The album ends with the title track. It's a nearly 6 minute closer that has some really clever lyrics, but as a whole it leaves me feeling nothing...much like this album.
As a whole this album is decent, but pretty forgetable. To me, there's just nothing special about it. Highlights are "Simple Song", "Bait and Switch", "September", "No Way Down". I say highlights because some songs have to be highlights. There are still highlights on Sportscenter to 1-0 baseball games. These are all sacrifice flies. I don't hate the album, but i'm also not going to remember anything about this album in the next few years. It's a really sound record, but it's also really bland, safe, and gave me way too many moments of indifference.
GRADE: 5/10
The Shins-"Bait and Switch"
Islands-"A Sleep and A Forgetting"
This is a pretty sincere album and I absolutely admire that, but it's a sleeper aside from two or three songs. It's really depressing, but it's about a failed marriage. I'm a big believer in opening albums up with a bit of a punch. Doesn't have to be a rocker or anything, but I don't like when albums open up with a sleeper and that's what happens here with "In A Dream It Seemed Real". That's my only complaint for the song though, because it is a pretty cool song especially after finding out that lead singer Nicholas Thorburn wrote most of this album about his failed marriage. The tone remains dark with the 2nd track "This Is Not A Song". Things pick up a little bit "Never Go Solo", which is again about avoiding being alone. The album hits it's highpoint on back-to-back tracks "Hallways" and "Can't Feel My Face". These songs are upbeat, but stick to the same divorce theme of missing his old life. Although my favorite track on the album, I do have one complaint about "Can't Feel My Face". I wish they would have ran through the chorus one more time. Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse is cool with me, but this chorus is so powerful and fun that I wish they would have played it again. The rest of the album continues with an extremely dark and depressing feel. It's almost torturous to listen to. I'm sure i'd love it if I was in an unhappy stage of my life, but I just can't wrap my arms around liking this album right now. However, "Hallways" and "Can't Feel My Face" are sure to be in my top 50 tracks of the year.
GRADE: 4/10
