Vinyl love: The Decemberists “The crane wife”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The Decemberists
Album Title: The crane wife
Year released: 2006
Year reissued: 2010
Details: Gatefold sleeve, 2 x LP

The skinny: Anyone who thought The Decemberists would temper their idiosyncratic sound and inventive, yet sometimes esoteric narrative lyrics for their major label debut, obviously never met the Portland-based five-piece. Songs included a prog rock masterpiece and a three part mini-rock opera based on a Japanese folk story, the latter being where this, their fourth album draws its name. Another brilliant work by one of my favourite bands.

Standout track: “O Valencia!”