The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
I wasn't sure I needed another Decemberists album in my life, it sort of seemed like the album-length concept opera thing they released in 2009 represented a defining moment for the band. And by that I mean, there really wasn't anywhere else for them to go, they ramped up everything that made them so loved (and hated) past eleven and went totally for baroque-pop broke. For the most part, it worked. Fans seemed to love it and it garnered plenty of critical praise, even if it failed to win over the many vocal haters. As it turns out, the band themselves knew they had reached an end point with the hyper-literate, narrative style and for this go-round, they wisely forged a new path and retreated to a barn outside of Portland for a more rustic influence. It certainly did the trick, because this is a surprisingly "fresh" sounding Decemberists record. Gone are the narrative folk tunes, the literary twists of fate, and Colin Meloy's five-syllable words (okay, so some of those still sneak in from time to time), in place of a record that feels authentically rustic and back-porch. There are touches of pedal steel and harmonica, as well as simple, pretty ballads about the changing of the seasons. The guest stars don't hurt either, particularly GIllian Welch's vocals on "Down By the Water" and Peter Buck's guitars on several tracks (even when one, "Calamity Song", features a riff that sounds exactly like early R.E.M.). The record is nicely paced and wonderfully structured, closing in at a compact forty minutes. This is a wonderful change of pace for the band and I'm looking forward to hearing this out on the back patio this summer.
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