Tarkio is to the Decemeberists what Uncle Tupelo is to Wilco: neither of these early groups will ever be better or more popular than their present-day counterparts, but they deserve attention independent of the bands that would outshine them.  Full text...

Omnibus serves to show that there are no skeletons in Meloy’s closet, no embarrassing moments in his pre-indie heartthrob career.  Full text...

Omnibus is more a historical artifact for the Decemberists completist than a riveting overview of a criminally neglected band from the late '90s.  Full text...

Still you can see the seeds of what makes the Decemberists so compelling—the elaborate wordplay, the vivid images, the smooth, melodic largeness of song—along with a certain amount of appealing modesty. Recommended for fans, especially the ones who liked Five Songs and Castaways the best.  Full text...

You would have lived the rest of your years completely and perhaps blissfully unaware of Tarkio if it weren't for the fact that the band's singer and primary songwriter was Colin Meloy, now president-for-life of the Decemberists. And honestly you wouldn't have been missing very much.  Full text...