Decemberists Announce New Album to be Released March 24

Decemberists set to release new album The Hazards of Love March 24

On March 24th, Capitol Records will release The DecemberistsÂ� fifth album—entitled The Hazards Of Love, the follow-up to the groupÂ�s 2006 breakthrough,The Crane Wife. No Decemberists long player would be complete without some kind of theme or concept running throughout and it sounds like this won't be any different. According to the press release, "the 17-song suite, recorded with the bandÂ�s longtime producer, Tucker Martine, is rooted in ancient language and imagery, yet entirely modern and accessible." Wow.

The Decemberists are making Â�"The RakeÂ�s Song"Â� from The Hazards available as a free download starting today at www.decemberists.com.

For more on that concept, here's mainman Colin Meloy has to say: "There'�s an odd bond between the music of the British folk revival and classic metal. �A natural connection between, like, Fairport Convention and Black Sabbath � of course, Sandy Denny from Fairport even sang with Led Zeppelin on �The Battle of Evermore.� I think there�s a shared sense of narrative and ambience, of moving beyond the first person in your writing. And I thought it would be interesting to mess around with that.�"

Apparently The Hazards Of Love tells the story of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting beast; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake.Â� Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while My Morning Jacket's Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock and the Spinanes' Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles. 

The track listing for The Hazards Of Love is as follows:

1. Prelude

2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles WonÂ�t Wrestle the Thistles Undone)

3. A Bower Scene

4. WonÂ�t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)

5. The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)

6. The QueenÂ�s Approach

7. IsnÂ�t it a Lovely Night?

8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid

9. An Interlude        

10. The RakeÂ�s Song

11. The Abduction of Margaret

12. The QueenÂ�s Rebuke / The Crossing

13. Annan Water

14. Margaret in Captivity

15. The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)

16. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)

17. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)