THE TAIN

Next to "The Hazards of Love", this 19-minute EP is the most overtly Progressive item in the entire Decemberists catalogue, presenting a continuous, five-part suite loosely based on the same ancient Irish legends that had previously inspired the popular (and more authentic) 1973 HORSLIPS album of the same name.

This new version was recorded in 2004, in between the more traditional Decemberist indie-folk albums "Her Majesty" and "Picaresque", but sounding unlike either of them. What's immediately apparent at first exposure is the heightened level of musical aggression, revealing an unexpected iron fist inside Colin Meloy's usual wrap of "gingham, taffeta, cotton and silk". The band's quirky leader was still singing wistfully of thistledown beds in forest and fen, but for the first time on a Decemberist album the electric guitars were louder than the ubiquitous accordions and dulcimers.

The EP as a result rocks harder than anything the group had ever attempted, but without sacrificing that unique, theatrical Decemberist flair. There are moments (in Parts II and V) when a shrieking heavy metal headbanger would not have sounded out of place, instead of Meloy's typically fey, adenoidal tenor.

And yet the dramatic ebb and flow of the music itself is closer to the quintessential sound of old-school Progressive Rock. The arrangements and production are entirely modern, but the spirit is pure 1970's, evoked in the anachronistic vibrato of Jenny Colin's electric piano and the blazing grind of her Hammond organ. Further stylistic color is provided by the additional cellos, occasional acoustic bass, and massed female backing vocals heard in Part III.

Anyone looking for a compact, comprehensive entry into the mind of Colin Meloy will find "The Tain" an ideal beginner's sampler. And for longtime fans it's the perfect companion to the later "Hazards" album.