5 Songs

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Much fuss has been made about Colin Meloy's penchant for unlikely lyrical themes and clever wordplay. Here -- as ever -- he delivers, but the listener will realize above all with this collection that The Decemberists are simply top-notch pop auteurs. This exuberant disc belies its title with an actual count of six exclusive songs.

"5 Songs" is the essential springtime mix. Dispensing with the occasional macabre (delightfully macabre, that is) narratives of "Castaways and Cutouts," "5 Songs" collects the feel good'ns. The songs are bright, buoyant, and devastatingly POP. This is the CD that you won't want to take out of your car deck. It will have you rolling down your window, slowing down to take in the sights, waving on pedestrians at stop signs, and circling the block at your destination to finish out the song.