Today marks the release of The Decemberists' newest LP, The King is Dead. The title is a reference to passing of Michael Jackson, and, as such, the album more or less reflects its name. This album is indeed the most pop-oriented Decemberists outing yet. Colin Meloy and Co. abandon the sprawling, multi-part epics of their last effort, 2009's The Hazards of Love. In place of Hazard's operatic tendencies, with their new album, The Decemberists adapt a more approachable, upbeat, "radio-friendly" sound. Meloy has noted that the album is heavily noted by R.E.M, which is most clear in the album's first single, "Down By the Water."
Track By Track:
1. "Don't Carry It All" - Take standard Colin Meloy vocals, punctuated with a heavy, pulsing drumbeat, and lay on some Neil Young-style harmonica solos, and voila, you have the album's opener. The end of the song is highlighted by the use of mandolin, which adds a shimmery, shiny layer to an already solid track.
2. "Calamity Song" - This one starts off with a strange, echo-y six word phrase, "You and me in the war" being shouted sans musical accompaniment. Then, we're introduced to the ever-present acoustic guitar that stands out as this song's signature. As it stands, the guitar part could easily fit in with the bluegrass/country of T Bone Burnett's O Brother Where art Thou? soundtrack. Lyrically, we revisit one of the band's favorite topics to sing about; wartime! In the chorus, the listener is again reminded of the R.E.M's heavy influence on the album, with some Peter Buck-sounding jangly guitar glory shining through. The stand-out aspect of this song however, to me, is it's showcase of Meloy's vocal abilities, as we get a glimpse of some wonderful range with a few Black Francis "Ahhh-woooo"s, sounding incredibly similar to the Pixies' "Caribou".
EDIT: Ironically, it actually IS Peter Buck playing on this track... Oops!
3. "Rise to Me" - Chris Funk's slide guitar is the backbone of this song, and it really ought to be. The Decemberists have never truly showcased Funk's roots-y virtuosity, so this is long overdue. Overall, this track is a mournful, camp-fire tune with more harmonica. At five minutes, the song may seem a bit on the longer side, and rightfully so. I found myself sitting through a harmonica solo or two really wishing the song would just skip ahead to whenever Colin would start singing again. It is by no means a bad song, it's just a little... roundabout.
4. "Rox in the Box" - This is my favorite track of the album. I have absolutely no idea what "Rox in the Box" refers to, but I really don't care. We all know damn well that The Decemberists can rock a sea shanty like nobody's business, but "Rox in the Box" is the first time I've heard a strong Celtic influence in one of their songs. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, it works. It works really well. When I heard the song's opening riff, I half expected Flogging Molly's Dave King to grace my ears with a drunken lullaby. Instead, Colin Meloy and Jenny Conlee sing a haunting miner's tale. I've always seen Conlee's vocals as terribly underutilized, so this track is a real treat. Lyrically, the song's chorus reminds me of the creepy nursery rhyme from A Nightmare on Elm Street, which is probably a stretch, but I love my connection nonetheless.
5. "January Hymn" - As I sit here typing this, I'm actually missing my first two classes of the day, all because I've been snowed in. Now, it might be due to this fact that I find this track so endearing. It is the perfect post-holiday winter theme, perfectly paralleling the sluggish, dreamlike feel of a later-life snow day (it's a snow day for grownups... you're not excited for being off from school, you're just bored). Another one of the reasons I love this song is because it is one of few that, to me, captures the feeling of being inside on a winter day. There is a warmth to Meloy's vocals on this tune that really reminds me of thawing next to a fireplace.
6. "Down by the Water" - For this one, the band enlists Tennessee singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. The sharp contrast between "Down by the Water" and the previous track, "January Hymn" actually kind of startled me. The drums that open the song slapped me back from the dreamy warmth of the preceding tune. This, for all intents and purposes, isn't a Decemberists song. Sure, The Decemberists wrote and recorded it, but it could just as easily be a sonic sequel to "Shiny Happy People." The vocal interplay between Meloy and Welch really reminds me of that of Michael Stipe and Kate Pierson. Of course, this being a Decemberists track, it has a much more Americana feel to it than Stipe and Pierson's song.
7. "All Arise!" - Warning: If you are a fan of anything The Decemberists have ever done, there's a very, very good chance you won't like this tune. Why? One word: Fiddle. Bleh... I personally think this track has a certain cinematic quality to it, in that it could easily be laid on top of some sort of cheesy montage. Whether that is a redeeming quality or not, I will leave open to you.
8. "June Hymn" - Is this a Gregorian calendar psuedo-prequel to Castaway and Cutouts's "July, July"? Not really. This song is actually more of an appropriate complementary piece to this album's fifth track, the similarly titled "January Hymn". It is a celebration of a fresh summer that I find rather reminiscent of the Beatles song "I Just Saw a Face". Although "June Hymn" is a little more downbeat, it follows a similar chord progression.
9. "This Is Why We Fight" - This song is big. It's abrasive. The rolling drums constantly slug you right in the stomach, and you're going to like it. As seems to be en vogue right now (what with the massive success of Arcade Fire's The Suburbs) this track recalls heyday Bruce Springsteen. And it's a welcome addition to the Decemberists catalog. Toss in some arena-sized vocals, and you have what is very possibly the first singalong Decembirsts song. What I love most about this album is its showcase of ideas previously unheard on the band's other albums. "This Is Why We Fight" is a perfect example of a style The Decemberists haven't yet adopted, but I am certainly glad they decided to here.
10. "Dear Avery" - "Dear Avery" is a reminder that The Decemberists can sound really spooky sometimes. It starts off sounding like an outtake from Hazards of Love, possibly an ode to one of the protagonist's drowned children. But then, the song shifts a bit, and conveys a sense of longing for the titular Avery. It is my interpretation that Avery is a son who has grown up and left home. Under that lens, this song is easily the sweetest on the album. Plus, we get some very angelic backing vocals and more of Chris Funk's slide guitar.
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