Long Live The King
Artist: The Decemberists
Label: Capitol
Website: decemberists.com
A solid
collection of B-sides
The Decemberists' Long Live The King EP is a nice 26 minute follow up to their excellent The King Is Dead LP which was released earlier this year.
The 6
tracks here are outtakes from those
sessions and bring a much more diverse sound compared to the early
R.E.M. vibe found on The King Is Dead.
The first two tracks fall right into The Decemberists folk strengths,
as "E. Watson" features backing vocals from Laura
Veirs and Annalisa Tornfelt. "Foregone" dives even deeper into
their roots with the pedal steel in full effect and an enjoyable laid
back swagger from the band that makes this track a favorite.
"Burying
Davy" is a longer and more somber song that loosely jams on, which is
evident why it didn't fit on the full length but included here. The
Decemberists jamming mode appears again on their solid Grateful Dead
cover of "Row Jimmy" that passes the six minute mark, while the EP ends
with the swaying horn filled closer "Sonnet".
Long Live The King is a great EP for fans. The record may not be cohesive but it comes as advertised with tracks that should be heard and most certainly are enjoyable.
Christopher Anthony
For more of Christopher Anthony's music reviews, check out The Fire Note