The Decemberists: Always the Bridesmaid
“Valerie Plame”/“O New England” released Oct. 14

By Jeff Eason

A lot of bands have cult followings. But very few bands have fans as committed as those who love The Decemberists, the Portland, Oregon-based folk rock act fronted by singer Colin Meloy. The Decemberists’ website has a page devoted to fan art where dozens of people have posted images of paintings, drawings and even tattoos dedicated to the band and their songs.

Decemberists fans tend to be geekier and more well-educated than fans of, say, Toby Keith, Metallica or Joss Stone. Maybe that’s because songwriter Meloy, the Edgar Allen Poe of folk-rock, writes dark gothic-laced songs about shipwreck victims, orphans, Civil War tragedies and women mistakenly shot by their own brothers.

Other members of The Decemberists, named after Russia’s 1825 Decembrist Revolt, include Chris Funk on guitar and other instruments, John Moen on drums and vocals, Nate Query on bass, and Jenny Conlee on keyboards, accordion and vocals.

The band’s discography includes several independent albums and EPs before signing with the Kill Rock Stars label. Subsequently they released Her Majesty in 2003 and Picaresque in 2005 before signing with major label Capitol Records. Their Capitol debut, The Crane Wife, ranked as high as #35 on the Billboard Charts and was named the Best Album of 2006 in a National Public Radio listener poll.

The Decemberists have taken an unconventional route in releasing their latest set of songs, titled Always The Bridesmaid: A Single Series. On October 14, Volume I of the series was released as a large format vinyl single and as a digital download. The single features the songs “Valerie Plame” and “O New England.”

Volume II and Volume III of the series will be released on November 4, and December 2, respectively. Volume II will feature the songs “Days of Elaine” (two versions) and “I’m Sticking with You.” Volume III will feature the songs “Record Year” and “Raincoat Song.”

The new songs vary from the wildly hummable big-band production number “Valerie Plame” to the simple guitar and vocals of “Raincoat Song.” “Valerie Plame,” with its catchy melody and “Hey Jude”-like ending is the most likely song from Bridesmaid to catch afire on the radio (or end up on a television commercial, today’s equivalent of having a pop single hit). A loving tribute to the beautiful blonde CIA operative whose secret identity was revealed to the press by White House insiders, “Valerie Plame” starts simply then pulls out all the stops with banjos, horns and a chorus of heavenly voices.

“O New England,” the B-side of the new platter for fans buying the single on vinyl, is that perfect autumn road-trip song, detailing a journey through the Northeast. Like “Valerie Plame,” it starts out with a simple acoustic guitar and voice and builds in instrumentation. By the time the electric guitar, organ and glockenspiel kick, you’ll be ready to join the Decemberists on the ride.

“I’m Sticking With You,” with lead vocals by Jenny Conlee, starts off like a children’s melody and then cavorts into a Broadway-esque ballad duet between Conley and Meloy.

With its slightly dissonant guitar and banjo, eerie cellos and ominous keyboards, “Record Year” is the darkest song of the bunch in the single series. Listening to this beautiful song is like looking out at a barren winter landscape and wondering if spring will ever come again.

In the old days of album cover art, it was not unusual for certain bands to utilize the work of an individual artist to achieve a signature look for their records. For example, sci-fi/fantasy artist Roger Dean designed all of the jacket covers for the English progressive rock band Yes as well as the signature “Yes” logo.

The Decemberists have taken a similar approach by using the work of Portland artist Carson Ellis for their albums, T-shirts and website design. Her wonderfully old-fashioned illustrations are perfect visualizations of the Decemberists’ music. Carson and Colin Meloy met in college and married several years ago.

Carson Ellis’ art can be seen at www.decemberists.com and www.carsonellis.com.

Always the Bridesmaid: A Single Series is a fan-driven project for the Decemberists to help fill the gap between The Crane Wife and the band’s next full length album, set to be released in the first half of 2009. If successful, it could mark a different approach to releasing music for many independent bands with strong fanbases.

Always the Bridesmaid’s first two songs, “Valerie Plame” and “O New England” are available at www.decemberists.com.