Decemberists: The Hazards of Love

www.decemberists.com

Related Content

• Stunt-Casting A More Modern Disney Soundtrack
  February 8, 2012
• We Tell You Who Will Win Grammys So You Don't Have To Watch Them
  February 10, 2012
• The Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)
  May 30, 2011
• Arcade Fire, Civil Wars, Taylor Swift to Pen Hunger Games Songs
  December 27, 2011
• Conroe Native Courtney Smith Crashes Rock-Lit Boys Club
  September 14, 2011

More About

• Colin Meloy
• The Decemberists

Smarty-pants Colin Meloy has yet once again topped his prior output, this time bringing his Portland group Decemberists to bear on a 17-song concept album. People will no doubt label this a "rock opera," but Meloy is actually drawing more from the traditional folk world than anything. His words and music are constructed around the perpetually doomed "Margaret" and "William," central characters in a bazillion tales. While the record is clearly meant to be heard as one long piece of music — and you'll have to pay close attention to really follow the narrative — Meloy and company excel in connecting the feelings in the words to the actual music. In doing so, they've actually managed to work in an ever-so-slightly harder rock edge. "The Rake's Song" sounds sufficiently evil, as any song about a rake should; "The Abduction of Margaret" creates the tension of a quick hostage situation, while "Hazards of Love 1" sets the stage with Meloy teasing his vocals and acoustic guitar, getting down with what actually are hazards of love (maidens, thistles, etc.). Musically, Hazards sounds contemporary — read: made within this century — yet the story has a very old-world feel. But somehow, Meloy has made it seem cool. Go figure.