Picaresque (album)

Picaresque is the third studio album from The Decemberists. It was released in 2005 on the Kill Rock Stars record label. The word "picaresque" refers to a form of satirical prose originating in Spain, depicting realistically and often humorously the adventures of a low-born, roguish hero living by their wits in a corrupt society.

Recording
The album was recorded at the Prescott Church in northeast Portland, which the band rented for one month in the summer of 2004. To facilitate the creative process and avoid creative block, band members filled a used bike helmet with slips of paper listing strategies and ideas to try out. Non-traditional rock instruments used in the album's recording included an accordion and a hurdy-gurdy. The album was produced by Chris Walla, also the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie.

Release
The album includes the track "Sixteen Military Wives", the music video of which was distributed by the band via BitTorrent. A double vinyl version was released in the United States that contained the album on the first three sides with an EP of outtakes named Picaresqueties on the fourth side. This EP was the band's final release for the Kill Rock Stars label. In Europe, a single-disc vinyl version was released on Rough Trade without the Picaresqueties EP; the first six tracks appear on Side A, and the final five are on Side B.

A limited edition tenth anniversary pressing of the album on red vinyl was released for Record Store Day 2015. It was formatted as three sides, with the tracks from the Picaresqueties EP as the fourth side.

As of September 2006 it has sold 123,000 units in United States.

Reception
Picaresque has a rating of 81/100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". The album reached number 5 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and number 128 on the Billboard 200. Pitchfork placed Picaresque at number 143 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.

Track listing
All songs written by Colin Meloy.

Personnel
The Decemberists
 * Colin Meloy – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
 * Chris Funk – lead guitar, steel guitar, backing vocals
 * Jenny Conlee – keyboards, accordion, backing vocals
 * Nate Query – bass, backing vocals
 * Rachel Blumberg – drums, backing vocals

Additional musicians
 * Petra Haden – violin, backing vocals
 * Chris Walla – electric guitar
 * Paul Brainard – trumpet
 * Tom Hill – trombone
 * Joe Cunningham – saxophone
 * Aaron Stewart – tam-tam
 * Jeff London – shofar
 * Eric Stern – operatic tenor

Uses in media
The Mad Men episode "Maidenform" opened with a montage set to a segment of the song "The Infanta".