THE CRANE WIFE

I have the great advantage of listening to this album 15 years after it's initial release--with 15 years of getting to know "Prog Folk" and folk rock behind me. (To put this into perspective, one of the first Prog Folk albums I tried from ProgArchives recommendations was this same band's "new"[at the time] and highly acclaimed release, Hazards of Love). There's a lot of familiarity to this music. I found myself hearing Bob Dylan, The Cure, REM (and the singing voice of Michael Stipes), even some Talking Heads, Smiths and Roddy Frame (Axtec Camera).

1. "The Crane Wife 3" (4:18) very nice folk-rock in the vein of JACK O' THE CLOCK and even FLEET FOXES or The MOULETTES. (8.5/10)

2. "The Island" (12:26) one of the top three "songs" on the album. (22.5/25): - a) Come And See (6:14) organ and electric bass and guitars make this extended opening proggy, a little PINK FLOYDian. At the two-minute mark we stop and set up a new, simple, one-instrument foundation over which Colin enters to sing. At the end of the third minute drums join in, then bass and then, finally, at 3:30 the full band. (9/10) - b) The Landlord's Daughter (2:47) Hammond and fast-picking acoustic guitar accompany Colin to open this part until one minute in the whole band burst forward for the chorus. There's a kind of "Can You Hear Me?" feel to this one before it turns ELP-ish. (9/10) - c) You'll Not Feel the Drowning (5:33) moderately fast picked acoustic guitar arpeggi play on before Colin joins in. Organ and piano add some in the chorus (organ staying thereafter). (4.5/5)

3. "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" (4:18) sounds just like a Michael Stipes/REM song--despite the shared lead vocal duties with Laura Veirs. Laid back, melodic, and very simple. (8.5/10) 4. "O Valencia!" (3:47) Bob Dylan meets Roddy Frame. (8.25/10)

5. "The Perfect Crime #2" (5:33) a pop-bluesier sound palette (with a bass sounding like TONY LEVIN) reminding me of ROSY VELA. While I love this song, it's not really proggy. More PopJazz. It's bouncy, light, and danceable. (8.75/10)

6. "When The War Came" (5:06) a great, truly proggy song. Also a strong vocal performance to match the music and lyric. My favorite on the album. (9/10)

7. "Shankill Butchers" (4:39) a gentle folk song that starts out as a solo Colin Meloy performance of guitar and vocal. Various and sundry instruments begin to show their simple contributions after the first verse and chorus. It has a very old-time southern porch folk feel to it. (8/10)

8. "Summersong" (3:31) strummed guitars and accordion with full rock combo supporting Colin's vocal. Nice melodies and construction. Another top three for me. (9/10)

9. "The Crane Wife 1 & 2 (11:19) After two and a half minutes the song finally kicks into full gear but the pace and styling changes little until the sixth minute. The choral vocalise in the fifth minute is a nice touch. At 5:35 there is slow down and shift to a base of acoustic guitar arpeggi (often one, long-held chord). Chorus with lap pedal steel guitar is nice. Organ joins in for third verse of this second motif though the overal mood remains reserved and sensitive. A very nice, moving song. (17.25/20)

10. "Sons & Daughters" (5:13) a great finishing song as it builds from a few droning noises into a fully textured song with anthemic lyrics sung over the top. I love the chorale vocal approach in the final two minutes to "here all the bombs fade away" lyric. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 73:48

People commenting of this band's acumen on their instruments must not have heard the amazing skills and intricacies of The MOULETTES! Colin & Co's music, style, and skills are more akin to those of Damon Waitkus (Jack O' The Clock) to me.

B/four stars; a very solid contribution to the Prog Folk lexicon and a nice addition to an adventurous prog lover's music collection.

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