Customer Reviews

5 Songs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

If it is, then it is still better than anything else out there.
The songs are all catchy, quirky and charming. I heard some comments about apology song. The comment mentioned, it is some song about some kids bike that got stolen while a friend was watching it for the summer. I think if you listen closely the end reveals that not only was the bike stolen, but so was his girlfriend. I liked the final reveal, but the song that stole my heart and rendered me listless into my mudhole of mediocrity was 'My mother the trapese artist.' This is possibly the decemberists finest song. 'my sister was found by a communist who had deserted his rank and followed his dream, to start up a punk rock band in South Carolina' the writing is that good through the entire song. These guys are just too good. They make me realize just how average I really am.

If you are someone who likes the Decemberists, as I am, then you will find a lot to love in this little EP. Songs like "oceanside" and "angel, won't you call me" are reminiscent of some of the more upbeat songs on castaways and cutouts. Which means that they are fantastic, and the other songs are great too. The Decemberists is a band that I am excited about. With only a few albums under their belt, I hope I get to see them develop more and more. If the last few albums are any indication, then these guys will do just fine in the indie rock world.

As for those people who have never heard them before, they are an odd band, utilizing many great instruments that one doesn't expect to hear in rock music that much these days, such as the accordion. The lead singer's voice is remeniscent of Jeff Mangum of neutral milk hotel, but a little cleaner, and more polished. The music could be compared to people like Badly Drawn Boy, or any other indie musician with strong pop sensibilities. Anyway, if you like acoustic-driven indie music, you'll love this.

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?)...

This is a fun EP and a great introduction to The Decemberists if you are unfamiliar with their music. All songs are strong here with the possible exception of the rather whimsical 'Apology Song'. The rest are really excellent, particularly 'Angel Won't You Call Me' and 'My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist'. This is an impressive group whose music is oddly satisfying - 5 Songs is a top class EP which leaves me wanting more.

The Decemberists remind me of R.E.M. with their melodious lyrics that Indie-Rock beats. I own all their 3 albums and honestly, I can't say I like one song better than the other. All of their songs have different flavors and tastes. The fact that I like about the Decemberists is that they write songs about something simple and give it deep meaning and almost all of their songs have a story to tell. For example, the song, "Apology Song" is a song where Colin Meloy (lead singer/ song writer) writes to his friend Steven apologizing for losing his bicycle.

If you have listened to their other 2 albums, you won't be disappointed with this one, trust me. If you have never heard the Decemberists before, I highly recommend them. I listen to them when I am driving and I am never in a bad mood when I'm listening to their songs. They are undoubtedly one of the most under-rated groups today. Listen to some of their songs and you'll find out what I am talking about.

Don't ask me why the Decemberists' "5 Songs" actually has six songs on it, because I really do not know. Their indiepop-folk tunes are pleasant as always on this E. It serves as a good companion to their first two albums, but their style is a bit too twee and quiet.

It opens with the airy "Oceanside," another song that hints at the rambling old towns and seashores that Decemberist songs are full of. That feeling sticks on through the EP, with the fast strums of "Shiny," the whimsical air of "My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist," and the downbeat ballad "I Don't Mind." The only one that lacks the whimsy is the boring "Apology Song," where frontman Colin Meloy apologizes to a childhood pal for the loss of a bike.

Every song on here is essentially folky and balladic, with Meloy's sea-shanty singing over mostly acoustic instrumentation. Admittedly it gets a bit monotonous musically, but the Decemberists had clearly grown in their literate songwriting by this point.

Meloy's is not quite the voice of an angel; it's a bit too nasal and flat for that. But it is admittedly charming when he sings about the sea and boyhood bike thefts. Musically, the songs are pleasant to the ear. But they are similar in style, which gets a bit monotonous, with the acoustic guitar is backed by steel guitarist Chris Funk and some mellow drums, as well as a slew of muted oddball instruments.

The songwriting is pretty uneven here -- while the writing of "Apology Song" is simplistic and a bit dull, "My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist" is absurdly whimsical and charming, the tale of a kid born to "a Chinese trapeze artist/In pre-war Paris/Smuggling bombs for the underground," who is born in a brothel and gambled away to (what else?) a brigadier on a ship.

The "5 Songs" EP is a charming bit of folk-pop, but it lacks substance in some songs. A pretty listen -- just skip the "Apology Song."

This is a wonderful set of rather traditional folk rock ballads. There's no new ground broken here, just superb execution of a time-tested formula... if only more "alternative" bands would set aside their preciousness and posing and just get back to writing really good songs. The banquet here includes great singing, interesting lyrics, quite catchy melodies, good instrumentation (including organ, tambourine, slide guitar)... not too polished, though. The first track, "Oceanside," is among my top ten favorite songs. I haven't heard any of this group's other albums but look forward to discovering them.

I love both of the Decemberists albums so I thought I'd check this out. I wasn't disapointed, at all. Once you own Castaways & Cutouts and Her Majesty don't hesitate to pick this up. Good stuff.