Crane Wife Junky

I admit it, I am a "Crane Wife" junkie. I need to listen to this album every day. For those of you who have not yet gotten hooked, this is a CD by the Oregon based band, the Decemberists. They are an indie group that I first heard on wxpn. Ethan mentioned that he liked one of their songs, so I picked the CD up for him a few months back and then we started playing it in the car. Musically, it is one of the most diverse sounding and beautiful collections I know. Though some of the songs are based on the Japanese folk tale of the same name, the album seems to be exploring many levels of relationships between men and women. Considering that most of the songs deal with death, it somehow remains hopeful and strangly upbeat. The lyrics are filled with allegory on the level of poetry. I highly recommend more than one listen.