Search - Decemberists :: 5 Songs

Good Companion to Decemberist's Albums

M. Starr | Kansas City | 11/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've always enjoyed music that evokes feelings of lukewarm summer evenings. Cold wintry days always seem to bring me down to a level I quickly want to be removed from. Instead, I take pleasure in evenings where the sun seems to never want to hide itself behind the horizon. The kind of evening that just doesn't seem to come around too often in my neck of the woods. Coming from the Midwest, I've always had the ability to take long drives down the highways and countryside simply for the sake of my own enjoyment. The Decemberists are a band that incorporates images of all these feelings. If you've read any of my music reviews in the past, you know that although I'm not the biggest fan of country music, per se, I am a true believer in the steel guitar. I'll even take it in the format of a pedal steel if that's all I can get. The steel guitar has just always had the ability to express true heartfelt sorrow and beauty to me.With their Five Songs EP, The Decemberists have showcased steel guitarist Chris Funk to send the majority of this morsel straight into the pearly gates of carefree rock heaven. "Oceanside" opens with perfectly strummed acoustic guitars that are married with Colin Meloy's unobtrusive, yet confident, vocals. If you give him some time, he'll even show you that lyrics are still important to music in a time of instrumental bands. "Shiny," the next song, is such a terrific song. To be honest, it's one of the nicest damn songs I've heard in months. The chords that have been used seem to say so many things by themselves, and the steel guitar is the true star. How could anyone feel bad when listening to a song such as this one? It seems to be the mold that all others have copied. The same could be said for the next song, "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist." It has the same vibe as the previous track, and makes me wonder how these guys could know exactly what I like in my music. It's easy to see why they have received so much critical acclaim for their album Castaways and Cutouts. The Decemberists will captivate you with their innocent and introverted sounds. Nothing here is forced, nor will it sound forced upon you. In a time when there is so much turmoil and hatred in the world, it's almost imperative that artists like this make music to remind us of a more simple time. This is also the type of music that tends to bridge the gap between today's music, and music the baby boomers enjoyed two decades ago. Although there are only six tracks here (go figure), I'd say this is a purchase that is worth every penny spent."

As seen reclining on an ocean swell

S. Cameron | 05/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I view the Decemberists as something like fine wine - an acquired taste, but they get better with time. In 5 SONGS, which actually consists of six, Colin Meloy's uniquely wonderful vocals, masterful storytelling and intimidating vocabulary come to a head - and combined with accordionistas, violinists, and your standard guitar/percussion/bass, you'd be hardpressed to find indie folk rock that sounded fresher or more exciting than this.



The songs themselves are six different stories in the ever-eclectic yarn of the Decemberists, with subjects ranging from World War II love stories ("My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist") to a heartfelt apology for losing a friend's bicycle ("Apology Song"). The wavering accordion-playing and acoustic guitar-strumming skates on impressive rhyme schemes stitched together with words like "provincial" and "ubiquitous," which make 5 SONGS, and indeed each successive Decemberists album, seem like a nineteenth century British novel. But who says there's anything wrong with that?



Whether you're a fan of altrock, folk rock, or indie in general, and if you're ready for something new and inimitably unique, I suggest you start here - and keep going."

Excellent for any Decemberists fan (or anyone else!)

Nat Zorach | Lancaster, PA | 01/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It seems characteristic of the Decemberists that they would release a CD with six songs and call it Five Songs. Perhaps this is what the apology song is for. Excellent CD overall. All pretty solid songs with a few really great ones to make this a five star album.



The CD opens with a lazily playful tribute to the narrator's love in one of the Decemberists' ubiquitous seaside settings. Somewhat bouncy syncopation adds to the relaxed undertone. Shiny is a bit faster, but is probably my least favorite song on the CD-- it sounds a bit hurried and musically incomplete. My Mother was a Chinese Trapeze Artist is an interesting story about someone whose birth and family seems a bit confused, ranging from the sister's husband wanting to start "a punk rock band in South Carolina" to the narrator being betted away "to a blind brigadier in a game / of high stakes canasta."



"Angel Won't You Call Me" is pretty upbeat, remeniscent of something perhaps classic rock-esque. "I Don't Mind" again deals with one of the Decemberists' poetically confusing stories, a rather relaxed and possibly soporific song... "Apology song" is a solid and cheerful song with the Decemberists' excellent combination of harmony, guitar, and organ about a guy who loses his friend's bike (bike?)..."