THE DECEMBERISTS
picaresque
CD/2LP, kill rock stars
It is the return of the bookworm, the revenge of the
guy in the chequered pullover and the big glasses in the backrow of the
class, who prefers reading to sports and essentially wants to be left alone.
And it is all pretty fine and wonderful that way. I wouldn’t talk about
nerds or geeks here, because that is not what it is. Nerds and Geeks somehow
managed to get a cool label from various sides, due to their obscure
interests that still regain a portion of cool if you hang on long enough
with them. An interest for adventure novels from the beginning of last
century or the end of the century before that doesn’t earn you anything.
Example: right now my favourite reading is Dostojewski, E.T.A. Hoffmann and
Ferdinand Raimund. Quite diverse, but frowned at by the cool crowd just the
same and with no distinction. The cool crowd is nowadays more interested in
Pelecanos, Leonard, Paluhnik and so on. Me, I guess I’ll wait about fourty
or fifty years to see what remains of them and up to then there is still
enough other stuff to read. I also grew an interest in history and
historical events and connections during the last years (indirectly
proportional to my interest in hardcore punkrock I realize). But good music
remains good music, no matter how many people listen to it. Or what the
musicians like to read. (I remember walking to a show by the Walkabouts and
seeing a copy of “The brothers Karamasov” – or something like that –
stuck in the window of their tourbus.)
The interesting point I am trying to get to is the
marvellous phenomenon of The Decemberists becoming a well known, popular
band. It can’t be the good Pitchfork ratings they got, because every
decent thinking person knows, that reviews of music that give grades or
ratings aren’t worth the paper printed on (take that as a metaphor –
computer monitors are way too expensive to give an aligned wording any sense
at all, ever). How did it happen? Chris Funk is even growing a beard now –
can you imagine that on a poster? Though the visual representation,
especially on this album – the vinyl version – has reached a peak in
uniqueness.
Mister Chris Funk has carved out a niche for himself,
which would have been easy to pass on by for the sensation-addicted indie
crowd. The Demeberists-appeal has three pillars: stories that sound century
old about frontier-treckers, mariners, soldiers, schoolboys. I am sure he
found inspiration to these stories in the parts of the school library where
most books haven’t been touched for about ten years and carry names such
as “The Red Badge Of Courage” or “To kill a mockingbird”. These
stories touch themes and issues so profound and deep – love, shame,
revenge – and in such a basic manner, even if hidden in those stories of
the olden times, that their effect is like programmed. The second pillar is
great music that lingers between prairiemusic and indie-folk, with hints at
sea-shanties, folk music of the last centuries and a basic need for feeling
the earth beneath your feets. But finally it is also melodies or small
dynamics in harmonies that grab your mind and stick the notes in there never
to be lost again. And on “Picaresque” there is fulfilment in all songs
(the bonus-tracks provided on the vinyl version also). There are lush
arrangements with horn sections, jangly tunes that swirl in the drunken
rhythm so perfectly taken on by Granfaloon Bus or The Gourds, and there is the best epic revenge
song since “Buenas Tardes Amigo” by Ween. And there is the grandeur of a
love for humanity endowed in the spirit of the great American novel.
