By Jesse Cataldo

When the news came out that The Tain, the new EP from Portland old-fanglers The Decemberists, was comprised of one 20-minute song with roots in 70s prog-metal, many diehard fans undoubtedly experienced a sudden feeling of dread. Visions of Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida danced about wildly, an endlessly repeating chorus and riffs played ad nauseaum until the inevitable collapse into a coma. Thankfully, The Tain delivers nothing of the sort. Its 18 minutes and 35 seconds are divided into five movements, each of which could easily be songs of their own.

This raises the question, why movements and not single songs? The music in each is drastically different, from the guitar and whirring organ of the first to the accordion and marching snare waltz of the fourth. However, the common thread of a single story continues throughout, and the inherent similarities between the first and last movements give The Tain the feel of a classical piece.

The subject matter takes us back a few centuries from the Decemberists’ usual lyrical settings, shifting to 11th century Ireland. The Tain takes its story from Tain bo Cualinga (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), a Celtic folk tale which tells of Queen Melb of Connaught’s attempt to acquire Ireland’s most famous bull, and the teenage hero Cuchalian, who is forced to defend it by himself. Yes, it’s as obscure and idiosyncratic as it seems, but don’t let that get you down. This album is a joy to listen to, even if you have no idea what’s going on. Its possible to listen to The Tain countless times without picking up the whole gist of the story, and the lyrics are interesting and catchy enough that you’ll find yourself singing along once in a while.

Although not a full album, The Tain manages to be one of the most satisfying one song-releases ever. It should be enough to tide anyone over until The Decemberists’ next full-length releasearrives.