Little has been said about The Decemberists that hasn’t already been said. Made iconic by a combination of stellar song-writing, intriguing folk-rock instrumentals, and the distinct crooning of Colin Meloy, the group has had multiple chart-topping albums and hits that remain memorable to this day. Perhaps most notable and interesting among these is their 2003 album Castaways And Cutouts.
The album starts off with the slow, mourning “Leslie Anne Levine”, quickly setting the overall somber and reflective tone for the album and the bands discography in general. This is followed by one of their most famous songs, “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect,” which is a rather simple but effective song on the futility of attempting to protect the ones you love. The next two songs, “July, July!” and “A Cautionary Song” take a turn for the darkly humorous. The first recalls the more memorable aspects of Meloy’s childhood in poverty; the second is effectively a “Your Mom” Joke extended out to the length of 2 minutes. Both are rather funny.
The levity is brief. The next 6 songs are mostly once more distinctly sad, violent or otherwise upset. “Odalisque” haunts the listener with the sheer intensity and rage displayed with the instrumentals and lyrics. “The Legionnaire’s Lament” recalls the French conquest of Algeria in the 1830s in painful detail, complete with the drug abuse and social ills so common to that era. The final song, “California One / Youth and Beauty Brigade” is a final, bittersweet note to end the album, with themes of teenaged rebellion, loss of innocence, and decay finishing off the piece.
Overall, the album stands up as an enduring folk-rock classic. Whilst Meloy and the Decemberists would go on to larger and better projects, the album remains among my favorites for its raw intensity and its self-reflection,