| The Decemberists Always the Bridesmaid |
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 | Tracklist:
Valerie Plane
O New England
Days of Elaine
I'm Sticking With You
A Record Year For Rainfall
Raincoat Song
Release Date: 12/02/2008 | |
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| Summary: Luckily, The Decemberists’ only weak collection of music is just an EP. |
4 of 4 thought this review was well written
Preceding the grandiose The Hazards of Love, Always the Bridesmaid is a quirky EP that hosts a family reunion of Decemberists’ singles - six, bite-sized, catchy, hyperliterate songs from a band you expected nothing less from. Naturally, it sounds like a bunch of singles. Opener ‘Valerie Plame’ is reminiscent of the band’s earlier single ’16 Military Wives’, only better. Boasting an infectious “la-de-da” chorus refrain that, following a handful of slick basslines, fizzles out into a strangely inspiring a cappella conclusion, the song is pop perfection. Yet the following three songs on Always the Bridesmaid fall incredibly short in comparison to the opener in both terms of execution and general musical sincerity; never before has the band sounded so lifeless and uninspired. To make matters worse, hidden amongst the lifelessness of 'Days of Elaine' and 'O New England' lies an unsightly blemish on The Decemberists career - ‘I’m Sticking With You’. There’s something terribly, terribly wrong with ‘I’m Sticking With You’. I’m not sure what sort of cutesy niche they’re trying to milk here, but something is definitely amiss in the world when Colin Meloy breaks down and writes lyrics like “I’m sticking with you, ‘cause I’m made of glue.” I mean, really? Your self-satire fails to make you seem self-aware, Meloy, it just makes you sound silly.
Luckily, the short and sweet ‘The Raincoat Song’ and ‘Record Year’ close the brief collection of songs on a more positive note. ‘The Raincoat Song’ is heavily reminiscent of songs such as 'The Crane Wife 3', exploring the more stripped-down, poppy aspect of the band (a la Ben Gibbard) while ‘Record Year’ is a moody shapeshifter that melds many different emotions into a grand little fable of a song - musically, imagine ‘Annan Water’ copulating with ‘Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect (but don’t think about it too long).
So, what are you left with when listening to Always the Bridesmaid? You’re supplied with one fun song, two brilliant songs, two bland-as-hell songs and one abysmal embarrassment of a tune. This means, unfortunately, that Always the Bridesmaid is The Decemberists first inconsistent collection of songs -- and although it’s only an EP, it’s still a disappointing listen.
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