“Colin Meloy's theatrical and hyperliterate band makes an unexpected move to Capitol Records, and delivers a record that matches the ambition of its new imprint.”
“In the lyrically impaired alt-rock world, Colin Meloy is lionized for his literary prowess because his reading predates Bret Easton Ellis and he knows what "picaresque" means. That was the title of the Decemberists’ 2005 Kill Rock Stars album, which came complete with such arcana as a barrow boy, an infanta and a veranda. Supposedly […]”