The Decemberists - The Rake's Song

i was very sceptical when i read about a new the decemberists record. their last one “the crane wife” was a strange combination of indie and prog rock and i found those prog rock songs just too pathetic. but “the crane wife” was a concept album based on a japanese fairy tale. so i hoped for less grandiloquence this time.
the decemberists’ new album “the hazards of love” is not based on some old stories. but instead of less epic storytelling they lost the mundane indie rock songs and went prog rock all the way. with bare grandiloquence.
it is really difficult to say why i like it this time. maybe because without the dichotomy of the indie vs. prog rock songs the album sounds more monolithic. or maybe it is because of the new found dichotomy of epic songwriting vs. minimal production. the album sounds just like a rough mix or peel session of …and you will know us by the trail of dead.

that reminds me that i should give the new …and you will know us by the trail of dead another listen. i totally love “so divided” and “festival thyme” was a nice little appetizer. but when i listened to “the century of self” it just didn’t click. but it needs to because they decided to go vinyl again and the artwork just rocks.

the decemberists myspace