| | Full Review | Ratings (466) |
Give your Rating |
| 4.0 excellent | qwer7yfreak | June 9th 10 |
This is a great debut album from The Decemberists, but it suffers from inconsistency. While many of the songs are great, nearly classics in their quality, others take a good start and drag them out too far, stretching a good idea thin. For example, many of the songs in the middle of the album are nice to listen to but slightly overlong. With songs like "July, July!" and "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect", it's clear that The Decemberists are capable of creating some very beautiful songs. Also, the album does start and end very strongly. The beautiful, sprawling, and epic finishing song, "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade" will almost make you forget about the unfortunate middle of the album, but not quite. Overall, this album features many great songs, some good songs, and, unfortunately, a few forgettable songs.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | Iai EMERITUS | June 27th 06 |
It's only really a lack of consistency that keeps this from being a superb debut. Both of the opening tracks, "Leslie Ann Levine" and "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect", are fantastic songs; quirky, fun, nostalgic, melodic. Shame, then, that the rest of the album isn't as good. From "July, July!" onwards, the album settles into a groove that reels off one good song after another, but no great ones. Still, for a debut, this was very impressive - many groups take 2 or 3 albums to truly find their sound, but The Decemberists had it down instantly here.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | Antonius | February 14th 21 |
The first thing that stands out from Castaways and Cutouts is Colin Meloy's lyrical dexterity. He delivers some incredibly poignant lines with such raw and powerful emotion, exhibiting continuously his lyrical prowess. The album is written around unhappy tales and fantastic allegories and the mood shifts drastically from melancholic to joyful on many occasions. The instrumentation of the album is fundamentally pop music with folk-rock elements, including bits of Hammond organ and accordion. Despite opening strongly with a trident of tracks full of luscious grooves and harmonies, I found the quality to be regressing as it moved on. Recommendations: "Leslie Anne Levine", "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect", "July, July!", "The Legionnaire's Lament".
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Monheim | October 8th 15 |
"I figured I had paid my debt to society/by paying my overdue fines at the Multnomah County
Library."
That line captures the innocence of youth in a way that no other band's lyrics really have.
Beautiful, beautiful stuff.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | skippingboy123 | April 8th 11 |
Used to love this album so much, very relaxing album the tells stories of an old-1800s feel. Very well structured songs, although some songs drag on and on. Gotta love the July, July (the only fast song)
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Zmev | October 11th 06 |
Easily their best album. One of those works where the first tracks seem to flow and work together perfectly. All of the Decemberists good traits are on display here: catchy songs, well penned lyrics, and one long but good song.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Sunnyvale STAFF | February 20th 24 |
| 3.5 great | doofy | January 11th 24 |
| 4.0 excellent | iGuter | January 7th 24 |
| 4.0 excellent | Veldin | June 15th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | wwf | January 24th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Josh | November 3rd 21 |
| 3.5 great | MrSu | July 30th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | DashBoi | November 10th 20 |
| 3.5 great | Sowing STAFF | May 11th 20 |
| 3.5 great | Mchi | January 10th 20 |
| 4.5 superb | yoil | December 31st 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Brett W | December 8th 19 |
| 3.5 great | Aeon89 | September 26th 19 |
| 3.5 great | Brabiz | September 18th 19 |
| 2.5 average | fog CONTRIBUTOR | July 25th 19 |
| 3.5 great | NateMa | March 6th 19 |
| 2.5 average | ImL | August 11th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | NathC4 | May 22nd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Juanpa | April 22nd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | PaabL | April 3rd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Alexxx | March 20th 18 |
| 3.0 good | wg98 | September 3rd 17 |
| 3.5 great | Xcal | November 24th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | jackled | October 11th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Troggy | May 2nd 16 |
| 3.5 great | Hawks | March 5th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Tom R. CONTRIBUTOR | September 21st 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | elry2k | June 17th 15 |
| 3.0 good | ariich | March 27th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | theyam | March 23rd 15 |
| 3.5 great | seifer | March 12th 15 |
| 1.5 very poor | fredyk | February 6th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | 8kuji | December 28th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | ti0n | December 1st 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | CamiloG | October 28th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | sje45 | August 4th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Jaime | June 12th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Renba7 | April 1st 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Gard3n | January 14th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | Scomadi | September 29th 13 |
| 3.5 great | gp0942 | January 30th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | ADM20 | November 19th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | September 12th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | ejb | September 9th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | gnotnek | September 8th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Fleeba | September 7th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Yoto | June 3rd 12 |
| 3.5 great | aerius | March 30th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | jg777 | March 30th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Pipt | January 19th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Sumire | January 15th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | iSkane | December 30th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Mandais | November 20th 11 |
| 3.0 good | Mendigo | September 20th 11 |
| 2.5 average | wylpyl | August 4th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Totes | July 20th 11 |
| 3.5 great | zillah | June 28th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Drifts | May 29th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Muzix | May 25th 11 |
| 3.0 good | Hocmat | April 11th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | tehaj1 | March 2nd 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Cinimin | January 29th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | c0ffee | December 16th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Roomex | November 13th 10 |
| 3.5 great | aleoh1 | November 3rd 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | occer | September 20th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | BrainPie | September 20th 10 |
| 3.5 great | Zoso4 | July 31st 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | mppwns | June 10th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | MGSBEN | April 19th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Isola | April 16th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | HHD87 | January 2nd 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | mouette | October 18th 09 |
| 3.5 great | Thef | October 18th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ricven | October 15th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | eunit75 | October 10th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | proxymo | September 24th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | dev4ll | August 18th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | ffbadd | May 30th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | timbo8 | April 1st 09 |
| 2.5 average | cafitz | March 30th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | valrus | January 9th 09 |
| 3.5 great | Rudy K. EMERITUS | January 3rd 09 |
| 3.5 great | dukes | October 25th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | pynguin | July 30th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | GOme | May 7th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | ind13 | April 4th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | thecity | February 1st 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | Kyle | December 20th 07 |
| 3.0 good | donovr | December 12th 07 |
| 3.5 great | Sleepy | November 10th 07 |
| 4.0 excellent | tuff | November 2nd 07 |
| 3.5 great | astrel | October 30th 07 |
| 4.5 superb | CeeBone | October 17th 07 |
| 3.5 great | DerMond | September 9th 07 |
| 3.5 great | Regole | August 29th 07 |
| 4.0 excellent | aikdog | August 12th 07 |
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