The Decemberists United States

"This is the Decemberists' crowning achievement. A masterpiece, mostly because of the consistently high level of quality in the tracks, telling a strange story, with the music covering so many styles and flowing seamlessly, making the whole release more powerful than any individual track."

"Awesome. Hard to describe what sets this apart from other prog concept albums. Aside from the flawless musicianship, the eclectic instrumentation and all the other trimmings you would expect, I guess for me it is the really sinister humor. If you are the type of listener who will pay attention to the lyrics, proceed with caution, and take them with a grain of (sea) salt."