The Decemberists: Colin Meloy (vocals, guitar, percussion); Chris Funk (vocals, lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin); Jenny Conlee (vocals, accordion, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Rachel Blumberg (vocals, glockenspiel, drums, percussion); Nate Query (vocals, double bass, bass guitar, percussion).
Additional personnel: Christopher Walla (vocals).
In a sharp contrast to the twee pop and concise song structures of their
previous recordings, the Decemberists pulled out all the stops for THE
TAIN EP. The disc consists of one multi-part composition that stretches
out over 18-and-a-half minutes. It starts with a sinister guitar riff
that's soon picked up by the entire band and hammered home with a
bludgeoning feel that's closer to Iron Butterfly or Deep Purple than to
the band's usual reference points (e.g. Belle & Sebastian or Robyn
Hitchcock). Over the course of the EP, the band traverses several time
signatures, moods, and instrumental settings, with organ, electric
piano, and accordion variously taking up the melodic theme. Those who
favor the Decemberists' more customary, docile, folk-flavored approach
may be put a bit off-balance by the undeniably prog-rock-tinged ambition
of THE TAIN. Yet the Decemberists have created a highly successful song suite here, which for a humble folk-rock band (or any other type of rock band for that matter) is no easy thing.
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