Bows + Arrows

The third installment of the Decemberists’ Always the Bridesmaid singles series is a downcast affair– both sides have rainy titles– and my favorite of the bunch. It’s a return to their first form: neither proggy nor overproduced nor a period piece, all of which are welcome from a band given to all three in recent years. “Raincoat Song” is particularly reminiscent of one of my favorite Decemberists tunes, a 2004 b-side called “Everything I Try To Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right”: a stiff, sweetly simple pattern; a short story; a poignant moment in the rain.

The Decemberists - Raincoat Song

Always The Bridesmaid: Vol 3 [Capitol; 2008]

Thank you, Vivian Girls, for giving me reason to never want to hear a Vivian Girls song.

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As of last month, I’ve been doing this for three years. It feels like much longer, and I can’t imagine how the true old-timers behind MBV must feel.