The Crane Wife 3

First of all, I absolutely love this song, and I created an account on here just so i could comment on it.

I, personally, knew why this was the first song in the album after hearing it exactly twice. I bought the album on my phone and listened to it all the way through on my iPod. This song, first of all, is beautiful, and just the right kind of song to start off an album. Starting in medias res IS used as a cinematic effect, and is an incredibly successful one at that. From listening to the lyrics of the song, especially the enigmatic chorus, a sense of mystery and curiosity is impressed on the listener. They listen to the rest of the album, an experience that is increased by the effects of this song, and hang on to every word in order to try and make a story that fits with the beginning. When the first two parts finally come, everything falls into place, and creates a great "aha!" feeling. But that isn't what makes this song and its placing so ingenious. After the first two parts, the album closes with two songs* that both connect to another subplot about the WWII seige of Leningrad that runs throughout the album, first in the song, "When the War Came." The end of Sons and Daughters, about the bombs, is meant to be the climax of the album. It also sets up "After the Bombs," which finishes the WWII subplot and is a nice emotional climax to the album as a whole. But it is not the finale. The FINAL LINE of "After the Bombs" is: "Until it all starts over again." My iPod was on repeat, so it immediately went back to this song, which is not only a good opener, but is also an amazing finale. After the song's mysteries have been unraveled, it becomes a satisfying and awesome ending to a complex and beautiful album.

So, there you have it.

*"After the Bombs" is an iTunes bonus track, even though i think it should be on the album itself and will be treating it as such.