Tom Lynch

While last year's "Picaresque" was a phenomenal feat, a celebration of wordy lyricism and acoustic-driven indie-pop told with Colin Meloy's sharp voice through Chris Walla's epic production, the band's new record, "The Crane Wife," isn't quite as stunning, but pretty damn close. The group's major-label debut--it jumped from Kill Rock Stars to Capitol--opens with the pitch-perfect "The Crane Wife 3," one of the band's most direct, and possibly greatest, songs, featuring a cathartic and divulging Meloy crooning "I will hang my head, hang my head low" at different, but each powerful, octaves. Following is a nine-minute, three-songs-in-one jam, a courageous, if testing on listeners, adventure in melodic storytelling. Like "Picaresque," the album drags a bit in the middle, but picks up again at the end with "The Crane Wife 1 and 2," a quiet, sweet pairing of songs, and "Sons and Daughters," a chanting finale of sweeping ease. Fun, hyper-intelligent and without sap, The Decemberists did it again.

The Decemberists play November 11 at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 North Racine, (773)275-6800, at 7:30pm. $23.50. (2006-11-07)

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