Probably not, but I do every time I listen to it. Probably why I like the song, too. After a succession of songs that are alright, but nothing special, comes the surprise that is "The Mariner's Revenge Song". Picaresque's second epic (clocking in at close to nine minutes), and the better one, the song tells the tale exactly what the title says. As the confidently bizarre carnival music and lyrics descend ever lower and lower, the song becomes better and better. It all brings to mind something like "The Ancient Mariner", and there's something enticingly creepy about a wispy voice cheerfully singing:

Find him, bind him.
Tie him to a pole and break,
his fingers to splinters.
Drag him to a hole until he,
wakes up naked,
clawing at the ceiling,
of his grave.

"The Mariner's Revenge Song" is worth the album on its own. That the album's closer, "Angels and Angles" is on par with the Picaresque's three openers is another pleasant surprise.

There are angels in your angles.

I'm not quite sure what Meloy means by that, but the song's still good and not only takes away any distaste that might have accumulated after "The Sporting Life" and "16 Military Wives", if you even still remember them after "The Mariner's Revenge Song", but is also a reminder of just how good The Decemberists are and how good they're going to be.

Undoutedly, a large chunk of how much you like The Decemberists' Picaresque will depend on how appealing you find their literary, bardish and somewhat stuffy style. I like it quite a bit, and Picaresque is probably The Decemberists' best album. Barring any weird surprises, it will have a place on my Top 5 list for 2005.

Rating: 8.0