Decemberists
(Capitol)
After an album with two epics that each lasted more than 10 minutes (2006's The Crain Wife), the Decemberists have returned with one 56-minute piece. Sort of. The Hazards of Love (the title borrowed from an album by 1960s folkie Anne Briggs) is banded into 17 tracks, but it stands as one piece, segueing seamlessly together, with musical motifs recurring throughout. Leader Colin Meloy dreamed up the story of lovers whose destiny, naturally, has tragic consequences. This could have easily turned into a ponderous experiment but Meloy is too good a narrator, and he fires on all cylinders.
Musically, the band brings out their bouzouki-and-accordion affinities but they also tap into some hard hitting rock riffs. Both styles make the individual pieces stand on their own as plain old songs for anyone not ready to follow the plot line (which admittedly gets a little vague towards the end). It might not be appropriate to call this a rock opera, but it stands up to the best of them.
Standout Tracks: "A Bower Scene," "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" MIKE SHANLEY
