The Decemberists: Her Majesty the Decemberists

THE SUCCESS of the Decemberists doesn't lie in the fact that each song that they write is a miniature world, intimately detailed and poetically rendered. The success of the Decemberists lies in the fact that, on their two albums and lone EP, their artistic statements are somehow cohesive — never sounding too far from their signature chamber pop sound. Of course, that's not to say that the group uses the same instruments, devices or songwriting techniques to achieve their purposes — each song is a unique entity, frequently yielding eminently catchy melodies and memorable turns of phrase.