Sound: A traveling band of seafaring musicians from centuries ago performing chamber pop/folk that sounds period and modern at the same time
Vocals: Colin Meloy is an olde, Irish-sounding troubadour (despite being from Portland, Oregon via Montana); think Robyn Hitchcock
Notable instruments: strings, horns, accordion
Look for: Vintage European vocabulary - palanquin, vestry, roustabout, phalanx, purloined (look ‘em up, I had to)
Heavy Rotations tracks: “The Infanta“; “The Engine Driver“;
“Eli, the Barrow Boy“; “We Both Go Down Together“
Medium Rotation tracks: “16 Military Wives“; “The Mariner’s Revenge Song“; “The Sporting Life“
Recommended: To anyone looking for instantly memorable tunes, literate lyrics and a uniquely paradoxical sound.
Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2005 candidate)

(As posted 4/4/05 on davepowersmusic.com)
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