'Hazards' of Being The Decemberists

Portland, Oregon's The Decemberists became indie stalwarts long ago, but what they accomplish with Hazards of Love is something worth of notice taking. The previous releases from The Decemberists, including Her Majesty and Picaresque, which followed a similar pattern: elaborate storytelling, conceptual in nature, but on a less ambitious scale, to bring about open interpretations of the albums' meaning behind the interaction of the characters to the setting within the album itself. The progressive, yet throwback sound and detailed instrumentation of Hazards of Love has to be audibly ingested in one sitting to fully appreciate what the band is trying to do. Some tracks land on your palate better if you know from whence they came . . . the previous song. Lots of transitional filler is in place here to keep the pace of this "love story" going.

This concept album outlined by 60's and 70's vibes is slightly more drawn out than previous releases in that the melodic nature of the songs stays on par throughout the telling of the story. "The Hazards of Love" series of songs, four to be exact, follow the story of William and Margaret and their love journey together. "Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)" and "Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)" [spoiler alert!] are the highlights of this series. "The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid" is the folksy, harpsichord-led narrative tune that sets up the meeting of Margaret and William in a forest where William is turned from a fawn into a handsome young chap by Margaret's interest in him. "The Rake Song" is the first single of the album and is only one of two or three that could stand apart from the pack as a successful, indie pop single. The song's tells of the mauling of the married protagonists' surviving "pest" kids by their father, William, who places his wrath upon them after one child caused him much grief and sorrow as a result of his bride's death during the birth of another kid, who also died. Confused? Horrified? That seems to be the point.

Whatever you may think of The Decemberists, you can't say they're unoriginal. Fans who were fans before The Crane Wife, their last full length release in October 2006, will enjoy the ride this go round. If you are just coming into the band, you may wanna listen a few times through Hazards of Love to "get it". Thus are the dangers of thinking big.

The Decemberists - Hazards of ... Playlist