Tain Ep [Single, EP]

The Decemberists | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 19, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single, EP
• Label: Acuarela
• ASIN: B0001NBL6I
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,048 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Tain, Pts. 1 - 5 - The Decemberists

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A radical departure, January 8, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tain Ep (Audio CD)

Everyone knows the Decemberists as being a sort of light indie-pop/folk band, with slightly odd songs and a slightly sunny feel. Not the sort of band to do a mythic concept album, right? Wrong. In what may be their best release so far, the Decemberists released "The Tain," a rich musical reinterpretation of Irish legend.

It's basically one song in five movements, starting off with a quietly sneering song from the "Crone." It then switches to a dark mix of bass and electronic instrumentation, before changing again to a stately, mournful acoustic ballad, where Meloy's cries of "On this stretch of ground/I'll lay me down" are echoed by the "Chorus of Waifs."

The fourth movement opens with Rachel Blumberg's soft singing, over a muted Hammond ballad. The final part of this musical tapestry is mostly a conversation between a woman and daughter, a percussive rock song that snaps and snarls, before ending with another word from the Crone.

"Tain Bo Cualnge" was the inspiration for this EP -- it was originally a story about cattle raids and legendary heroes in ancient Ulster. The Decemberists only loosely retell it, through offbeat rock songs and peculiar ballads. What's really striking is the musical reinvention -- nowhere are the more charming tunes of their full-length albums. This is dark, it's rock, and it's wonderfully eerie.

Meloy and Co. don't let the dark tone of the old myth get away from them -- in the middle of the fourth part, they burst into a kind of Celtic carnival tune. I'm not sure what it's supposed to signify, except that it sticks closer to the musical traditions of Ireland. The writing only falters at the beginning; the first part is pretty vulgar, and lacks the mythic tone of the following songs.

Colin Meloy seems to have found his vocal niche here. While he just sounds odd in light songs, here he sounds like the long-lost brother of Billy Corgan. It's a sound that suits him. He sounds particularly good when singing intensely, drawing the word "blood" out to something like "Bloo-uh-ud!" And he fits against a backdrop of sharp percussion, solid riffs and basslines, as well as some majestic waves of Wurlitzer, Rhodes, and piano.

In "The Tain" EP, the Decemberists seem to have found what kind of music they do best. Let's hope Meloy and his band stick to this richer, more majestic sound.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Characteristically Un-Pop; Quintessentially Decemberist, December 16, 2004

By 

Kevan Gentle - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tain Ep (Audio CD)

The Tain is - as you might have already guessed - a very different album from the previous two Decemberists releases. In terms of tone, I would say that it is closest to "Shanty for the Arethusa" off of Her Majesty. It is equally dark and brooding, but has some particularly brilliant moments. Fans of the more pop/folk style the group has to offer, such as Billy Liar or Red Right Ankle, might not enjoy it as much, but fans who appreciate Colin Meloy's storytelling above all else will enjoy this release immensely.

Instrumentally, the group is at its peak. From mandolin, to steel lap guitar, to glockenspiel, the piece is very carefully layered and orchestrated.

The piece begins with a slinky acoustic guitar line, and finishes with the same theme, a full symphonic cycle. The percussion is heavy throughout, with great military snare settling in to set that "epic" style that characterizes much of the band's work. A slightly off-tune piano graces the piece as well, further adding to the atmosphere. Rachel's voice adds a gorgeously eerie low to the piece, and is a pleasant surprise from fans familiar with "The Chimbley Sweep".

If you are really into the group, you might consider picking up a vinyl print with The Tain on one side, and 5 Songs EP on the other, available from the official website.

This thematic piece is probably best for dedicated fans, but is definitely worth a listen if you like the distinctness of their sound, or their songs which stray from pop sensibility.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing 18-minute ride!, June 26, 2005

By 

C. Wynes (Dyersburg, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tain Ep (Audio CD)

The Decemberists have apparently realized that the late 60's actually happened. You can tell from the first 10 seconds of this record that they've gone to a place they couldn't go on their first two full-lengths. A heavily-plucked acoustic guitar riff opens this EP, and an alternate universe is laid before us in which Black Sabbath's intuitive understanding of confrontational minor key riffs had intersected with the raw edge of Yes' first album and the anthemic blues-riffs of early Jethro Tull. It's an alternate universe where King Crimson didn't take 8 years off from music but instead followed up "Red" with a powerful masterpiece of hard rock.

In a sudden and severe departure from their previous LPs, "The Tain" takes the Decemberists to another plane. The first two LPs are driven by clever lyricism and a merger of classic alt-country and indie-rock chord progressions. "The Tain" keeps the haunting melodies but finally gives the electric guitar something to do.

This EP loosely follows an ancient Celtic folk story, about which I know very little. I won't attempt to evaluate this record on the basis of the source material.

The first 5 minutes are excellent, and evoke memories of hearing King Crimson's "20th Century Schizoid Man" for the first time. The record is at its weakest from the 5 minute mark to the 10 minute mark, with a chord progression that loses the darker edge that opened the EP. This section is too long and drags a bit. Things pick up again from that point out. A female vocalist lends her talents, after which Colin comes back to the fore with a driving blues-guitar riff behind him. The EP concludes with a revisiting of the earlier musical themes.

It is something of a disappointment that the Decemberists didn't build from the new direction this EP could have taken them, that their subsequent full-length "Picaresque" sounds as if "The Tain" never happened.

If you have arrived at this page as a Decemberists fan, I recommend the EP if you are open to an enormous divergence from their previous works (and their follow-up) that puts the lead vocals to work in a different but equally suitable context. If you've never heard the Decemberists before, I would recommend this album if you enjoy late 60's and early 70's rock, and if you enjoyed prog rock from that era that favored the guitar over the organ.