As you'll probably notice in the current issue of The L, we're being huge nerds about this record, going on and on about how, especially now that they've gone with a delightfully stripped-down, folk-leaning sound, we don't understand why everyone makes fun of The Decemberists. We maintain that Colin Meloy is a treasure, for the way he so obviously cares deeply about words and about melody, and also about all the same bands that we care about deeply. Ok, no, we didn't actually say Meloy is a treasure, but still, we're thinking it.