The Decemberists, "Picaresque"

One of the best albums I've heard in a long while. Colin Meloy is quite a storyteller. The third-person narration of most of these songs, combined with the band's sense of humor towards its subjects, recalls The Beatles' "A Day in the Life." I rarely if ever read lyrics word for word, but this time I did.

1. Infanta (3)
2. We Both Go Down Together (3.5)
3. Eli, The Barrowboy (3)
4. The Sporting Life (3.5)
5. The Bagman's Gambit (4.5)
6. From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea) (3)
7. Sixteen Military Wives (4) (I love the "la di da di da"s)
8. The Engine Driver (4)
9. On the Bus Mall (3.5)
10. The Mariner's Revenge Song (2.5)
11. Of Angels and Angles (3.5)

Overall: 3.5

Man, I hope they have a full orchestra at Austin.