The King is Dead

Ignatius says, "Tasteful".

My introduction to the Decemberists came years ago when at a yard sale I purchased a used pull out couch and two Vinyl records for 40 dollars. This may have been the best 40 dollars that I have ever spent. The couch was retro looking but worked great as a sleeper and the records were Neutral Milk Hotel In an Aeroplane Over The Sea and The Decemberists The Tain and 5 Songs. (Two EPs one on each side). At that time I became enthralled with The Decemberists intellectual english folk rock. They sang about England, bicycles and Edith Piaf. They told fascinating stories through song and backed it up with strings and the accordion.

Over the years though I have lost interest in The Decemberists. I saw them a live at Hard Rock Café in Orlando. Colin Meloy stood on stage in his white suit, drank his glass of wine, spoke poorly about Orlando and acted as if he were the most intelligent person in the room by far. I enjoyed the show but it was clear that Meloy had developed a huge ego and to me the climax of having a huge Whale come out on stage was an overuse of theatrics and I thought ineffective. They have since left their small indie record label, Kill Rock Stars, moved to Capital Records and proceeded to release two less than satisfying albums. The Crane Wife was tolerable but lacked the intimacy that I had known from earlier releases. Then The Hazards of Love, attempting to be some sort of rock opera, was simply less than epic and at that point I dismissed The Decemberists.

Enter the new album, The King is Dead that will be released this coming Tuesday on Capital and is currently streaming on NPR Music. I heard the song, Down by the Water, a few weeks ago and was uninspired. But after having a listen to the entire album this work is much more fragile and approachable then what they have been doing. Meloy has come down from his pedestal and written songs like Janurary Hymn and Dear Avery that are approachable and vulnerable. The Decemberists have traded in the accordion for the Harmonica and added Gillian Welch as a backup singer on many of the songs. This album is a move away from The English Folk Rock and an investigation into Americana. The King is Dead is a complete with work with songs that are varied in mood and tempo. Rox in the Box is a fun folksy number; easy to dance to. At just over 40 minutes, The King is Dead is a nice addition to their body of work and I am once again interested in The Decemberists.