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"Always the Bridesmaid" EP Collection

The Decemberists

Capitol/2008

Review by Patrick Weeks

In late 2008, Portland's prodigal shanty-singers released a 3 volume series of EPs entitled, "Always the Bridesmaid," and titled by volume, "Valerie Plame," "Days of Elaine," and, "Record Year for Rainfall."

I will be honest and admit that I am a dyed-in-the-wool Decemberists fanboy. I have seen their tours, I have paid for all their work, and I have often wished my mother was a Chinese trapeze artist. When I heard about this compilation, it was tough to from getting over-excited. At the time of the first volume's release there had been a great deal of speculation about the next full length album, and it was my hope that Always the Bridesmaid would be an insight into this future work (now known to be entitled "The Hazards of Love" and expected for release in April).

I waited until recovering from my hysteria before hitting the play button, and to my great disappointment little effort was required to remain calm. There were undeniable standout tracks on the EPs. Volume one's title track, written as a march in the style of "Sixteen Military Wives," gave me hope as the opener. Volume three consisted of two tracks, "A Record Year for Rainfall" and "Raincoat Song." While lacking in their usual literary genius, these tracks upheld the group's reputation for great storytelling. But my real beef was in the middle. Volume two began with "Days of Elaine," a track which I found bland, and seemingly written to be a pop-radio hit (I perish the thought). The bleak situation was exacerbated by track two, "Days of Elaine (Long Version)." True to words, it was what it stated: the worst song in the collection, only longer. And to put the icing on the cake, track three, a campy cover of The Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You."

The phrase "does not compute" springs to mind. A bad track, followed by the same bad track only worse. Then the coup de gras, the modern kings of pretentious obscurity covering their post-war nihilist counterparts. Who the hell produced this? And if bad covers and contemporary lyrics are what we should expect from The Hazards of Love, look out Colin Meloy. I know for certain that somewhere there will be an angry mob of Victorian Alt-Pop fans in cravats and hoop skirts, waiting to trounce this guy.