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Avg: 4.0 (384 ratings)
- Date Released: September 9, 2003
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Rock, Pop
- Label: Kill Rock Stars / Redeye
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We Say...
There are far too many reasons to adore the Decemberists: for their sharp, evocative storytelling, for their stunning and ambitious song arrangements, for their impossibly catchy hooks. But the one that leaves the rest in the dust is their unshakable, wry humor, which sits squarely in the heart of Her Majesty the Decemberists. As much as lead singer Colin Meloy may invoke the seemingly sincere images of shipwrecks and sailors' ghosts ("Shanty for the Arethusa") or the melancholy of a thrilling, but doomed, affair ("The Bachelor and the Bride"), he'll never demure from throwing in a really good joke, as in "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," a poison-pen letter to the city, where he sings, "A plaintive melody/ Truncated symphony/ An ocean's garbled vomit on the shore/ Los Angeles, I'm yours." It's obvious Meloy scored well on his vocabulary tests, but it's the way he flexes his knowledge that makes Her Majesty the Decemberists easily one of the finest releases of 2003.
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They Say...
On Her Majesty, the Decemberists' follow-up to their excellent debut, Castaways and Cutouts, the group cements its reputation as a seafaring Belle & Sebastian or a more grounded Neutral Milk Hotel. Tying together sweet symphonic pop with a ragtag theatricality, this album is more ambitious and more scattered than Castaways and Cutouts, making it an initially less accessible and more difficult listen. However, many of Her Majesty's most indulgent moments are among its best, including the high drama of the album opener, "Shanty for the Aretheusa," an epic that runs with the dark beauty that haunted the corners of the Decemberists' debut and gives it a wild, rambling edge. Likewise, "The Gymnast, High Above the Ground" also displays the band's expertise at creating subtle but palpable drama and swooning romanticism with just a few musical brush strokes. The wonderfully named "I Was Meant for the Stage," a triumphantly bittersweet song for the inner drama queen in everyone, shows off Colin Meloy's uniquely expressive voice: at one moment he's lispingly fey; the next, he's sneering self-deprecatingly. These beautiful, challenging songs make the band's occasional dips into treacle, such as the cloying "Billy Liar," forgivable, but what makes Her Majesty such a solid album is the consistent quality of the songs pitched between its high and low points. "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" flirts with soft rock, coming across as a latter-day single from Al Stewart; "Your Red Right Ankle" is an intimately and creatively detailed love song; and "Song for Myla Goldberg" has a sunny, winning appeal. Even though Her Majesty isn't quite as striking and full-formed as Castaways and Cutouts, it's still a consistently charming album that finds the band coming into its own.
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| 01. |  |
Shanty for the Arethusa |
5:38 |
|
| 02. | |
Billy Liar |
4:08 |
|
| 03. | |
Los Angeles, I'm Yours |
4:18 |
|
| 04. | |
The Gymnast, High Above the Ground |
7:13 |
|
| 05. | |
The Bachelor and the Bride |
4:13 |
|
| 06. | |
Song for Myla Goldberg |
3:34 |
|
| 07. | |
The Soldiering Life |
3:48 |
|
| 08. | |
Red Right Ankle |
3:29 |
|
| 09. | |
The Chimbley Sweep |
2:54 |
|
| 10. | |
I Was Meant For the Stage |
7:02 |
|
| 11. | |
As I Rise |
2:14 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 48:31 Total Length
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Credits
- John Golden - Mastering // Mike Johnson - String Arrangements // Larry Crane - Producer // Larry Crane - Engineer // Kenneth Erlick - Handclapping // Bradley Clark - Producer // Bradley Clark - Layout Design // The Decemberists - Producer // Rachel Blumberg - Organ // Rachel Blumberg - Percussion // Rachel Blumberg - Drums // Rachel Blumberg - Glockenspiel // Rachel Blumberg - Vocals (Background) // Rachel Blumberg - Vibraphone // Rachel Blumberg - Soloist // David Lipkind - Chromatic Harmonica // Chris Funk - Dobro // Chris Funk - Percussion // Chris Funk - Pedal Steel // Chris Funk - Guitar (Electric) // Chris Funk - Oberheim // Chris Funk - Lap Steel Guitar // Colin Meloy - Guitar (Acoustic) // Colin Meloy - Percussion // Colin Meloy - Guitar (Electric) // Colin Meloy - Vocals // Colin Meloy - Assistant // Jenny Conlee - Percussion // Jenny Conlee - Piano // Jenny Conlee - Accordion // Jenny Conlee - Organ (Hammond) // Jenny Conlee - Vocals (Background) // Jenny Conlee - Fender Rhodes // Jenny Conlee - Wurlitzer // Jenny Conlee - Piano (Upright) // Jesse Emerson - Percussion // Jesse Emerson - Bass (Electric) // Jesse Emerson - Bass (Upright) // Lucia Atkinson - Violin // Bridget Callahan - Viola // Emily Cox - Violin // Carson Ellis - Design // Carson Ellis - Illustrations // Carson Ellis - Screams // Cory Gray - Trombone // Cory Gray - Trumpet // Cory Gray - Handclapping // Mike Lah - Cello // Adam Selzer - Producer // Adam Selzer - Engineer
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