Colin Meloy

Artist: Colin Meloy of the Decemberists
Album: Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Label: Kill Rock Stars, Released April 8th
Sound: Cheeky, Solo-Acoustic Adventure Folk
Show: The Showbox, Fri. May 2nd at 8pm

Another Live, Solo Album From Decemberists Frontman
After a 2005’s Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey and a 2006 follow-up of sorts—there was some Decemberists output in the interim—Colin Meloy Sings trad. Arr. Shirley Collins, Colin Meloy has released a live full-length of his own Decemberists compositions stripped down to their barest, solo-acoustic arrangements. The album, keeping with the theme, is titled Colin Meloy Sings Live! It captures 17 songs from his 2006 solo tour. This time around, though, fans won’t have to see him live to snag an elusive copy of the aforementioned, self-released covers EP’s; Sings Live! was widely released April 8th on the Kill Rock Stars label.

Songs are drawn from the entire Decemberists catalogue and supplemented with samples of Meloy favorites tagging along certain numbers, like Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” stuck on the end of “Here I Dreamt I was an Architect.” “California One / Youth and Beauty Brigade” bleeds nicely into The Smiths’ “Ask,” making for a three-song melody that spans over 12 minutes. Quirky stage banter fills the gaps between songs, with Meloy stopping to introduce his inanimate set pieces as his “cast of characters,” and also warning an audience before starting into “Dracula’s Daughter,” which he introduces as “the worst song I ever wrote.” The purpose of playing it to, “you know, balance things out.”
 
The lighthearted banter provides an interesting juxtaposition between it and the somber approach Meloy takes to the songs (excepting “Dracula’s Daughter,” which he gloriously demolishes). “Red Right Ankle” is jovially introduced as a country and western number, but the delicate, arpeggiated guitar part accompanies Meloy’s heartfelt, decidedly un-twangy singing. The song is a triumph of the album; it showcases the value of Meloy’s gentle, solo treatment of Decemberists songs that can otherwise get lost in the folds of superfluous instrumentation. “The Gymnast, High Above the Ground” is another strong example of this; without its Her Majesty presentation, the song becomes intimate and engaging, capturing listeners into Meloy’s invented world of pirates, robbers and courtesans.      

Meloy Comes Alive!
Though Sings Live! is widely available, Meloy has pressed a limited run of tour-only EP’s again; this time around it’s Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke, with the venerated soul musician being the subject of the five-song release. The May 2nd Showbox performance is likely the only opportunity for fans to purchase the EP. The show promises to be an amalgam of Meloy interpretations simply arranged and sung with his slightly shaky, nasally vocals. With Meloy’s growing arsenal of covers and Decemberists tunes, it’s difficult to predict what the setlist will look like, but it will assuredly satisfy fans looking for rarities and back-catalogue gems. If it’s anything like the album, expect at least one campfire sing along.