The Decemberists, 'The Hazards of Love' (Capitol)
The Decemberists go for baroque with showy foray into musical theater.
By Josh Modell 03.04.09 7:10 PM
Colin Meloy's grandiose ambitions have, along with his band's popularity, grown gradually more grandiose over the years. Smarty-pants fans swooned for his use of old-timey language on 2002's Castaways and Cutouts, embraced the nautical theme of the following year's Her Majesty, and gleefully joined (or, more likely, rejoined) the drama club on indie farewell Picaresque. Jumping to a major label further fueled Meloy's desire for outsize ideas: 2006's The Crane Wife both summarized his past work and then added a multipart song cycle based on a Japanese folk tale for good measure.
So why did often reticent indie-rock fans indulge this Portland, oregon orchestral pop group's move toward proggish pomposity, a path normally reserved for bands associated with cheesy '70s excess (Styx, Yes, REO Speedwagon)? Because Meloy can write the hell out of a melody, and he's got a flair for making what might seem heady and ridiculous on paper into something that sounds relatable and touching. (Maybe you can't directly empathize with, say, a "chimbley sweep," but you can at least appreciate his plight in song.)
Yet with The Hazards of Love, Meloy may have high-kicked too far. Heavy on atmosphere and narrative, the hour-long, 17-part opus sets itself up as a piece of musical theater but forgets too frequently that great musicals need to deliver sticky choruses in addition to plot-advancing details.
The latter he's got covered: Hazards tells the story of a woman, Margaret, whose travails include being sexually assaulted by a shape-shifter, abduction at the hands of a villain known as "the rake," and eventually (if concept albums require spoiler alerts, consider this fair warning) joyous death in the arms of her true love. There's also child murder, a jealous queen, and enough anachronism to power an autogyro or gramophone for weeks.
Still, these flamboyant attempts are something to behold and at least occasionally admire. The lyric sheet, by necessity, explains which character is speaking when, and Meloy has employed a pair of ladies -- My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden and Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark -- to give voice to the queen and Margaret, respectively. Worden's commanding pipes, somewhere between PJ Harvey's and Lita Ford's, require the band to add serious musical force, which results in some of the snarliest, bluesiest, rockingest moments in the Decemberists' catalog. But it's jarring, because they just aren't as adept at anger as they are at whimsy. "The Rake's Song," voiced by Meloy, growls similarly -- which is no wonder, considering it tells the villain's horrific backstory, in which he murders his offspring. (Don't worry, they return as a choir on "The Hazards of Love 3 [Revenge!]" to get even.)
Things come down to earth for the hauntingly sweet "Isn't It a Lovely Night?" and "Annan Water," two rare moments where the band settles for simple prettiness. But there's no obvious single here to inspire sing-alongs or reward those not invested in the broader mood. It's all or nothing, and the former requires concentration and patience. To use one of those fading words that Meloy is so fond of, The Hazards of Love feels like a gambit, with the Decemberists betting that increased bombast and literary aspiration will make up for decreased attention to pop craft. It's a hazardous bet that yields spectacular sparks but ultimately asks for much more than it's willing to give.
Hey Josh you got the story completely wrong. Give it a few listens before you write a review on an album you don't understand. If you need someone to explain it for you I'll be more than happy to do so.
Josh, I would listen to the reviewer above. Spin magazine, much like Rolling Stone's album reviews, might be off the mark and losing it's relevance (see Rolling Stone's love of Yoko Ono).
BTW, "But there's no obvious single here to inspire sing-alongs or reward those not invested in the broader mood."--this is the most addlebrained comment I've heard. I don't want to belittle you (I don't know you) but I have a feeling this album is over your head.
If you are a Decemberists fan, this album is a no brainer; it is filled with the same insightful, thoughtful, beautiful melodies that Meloy and crew have always offered. If you are a no-brainer, don't buy it, because, yes, you might not find the trendy hooks and 2 minute radio tracks you are pining for. Finally, yes, you need to listen to this more than once to understand and appreciate it holistically. I would offer comparisons to Pink Floyd ("The Wall", "The Final Cut") or The Who ("Quadrophenia", "Tommy") or maybe even David Bowie, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", BUT NO! not Styx, Yes, or REO Speedwagon!! And Lita Ford!!! My my, I'm swooning.... Grace Slick, Ann Wilson maybe. You can always tell if you share musical tastes with a critic by the comparisons they use!
Well put, Septemberist.Upon the very first listen I gave the album, I immediately knew what was trying to be accomplished.. and they succeeded. It's quite flawless actually. Worden's vocals compared with Lita Ford?? Really? Grace Slick or Ann Wilson are EXACTLY who I was thinking about as I heard her whale on "..Repaid". Josh, screw the sticky choruses. If we wanted those we'd be listening to Fall Out Boy, respectfully.After all, how many "sticky choruses are found on that album called, ummm... "The Wall"? "Hazard's.." goes down as one my most appreciated LP's of the decade thus far. -Davidstrictly97@gmail.com
The Hazards of Love is simply some of the best music out there. I must second the opinions of the above posts. Sorry Josh, you're wrong about this one......
sounds like josh modell, just like the rest of the industry, wants a non-brainer, poorly constructed radio hit to sing along to. sorry, not everyone here likes one hit wonders and enjoys how complex the music is rather than horrible radio music. it's a rock opera - what else do you expect? it's not akon or bullshit modest mouse with only one riff. why are you even a music reviewer if you only want to here the same type of songs over and over again and radio hits? gtfo.
sounds like josh modell, just like the rest of the industry, wants a non-brainer, poorly constructed radio hit to sing along to. sorry, not everyone here likes one hit wonders and enjoys how complex the music is rather than horrible radio music. it's a rock opera - what else do you expect? it's not akon or bullshit modest mouse with only one riff. why are you even a music reviewer if you only want to here the same type of songs over and over again and radio hits? gtfo.
I know good music. I got this album right when it came out tried to listen to it, but shelved it. I just recently gave it another try. I cannot stop listening it. It's been a while since a whole album has had this effect on me. Josh, don't be lazy! Do a better job!
"You write: "Margaret, whose travails include being sexually assaulted by a shape-shifter..." and then later "joyous death in the arms of her true love." The two were the SAME PERSON (William) and he did not sexually assault her, she was perfectly willing. The only one who sexually assaulted anyone was The Rake. Try listening to the songs.
I am really confused by the idea that there is no obvious "single here to inspire sing-alongs" I just went to see them last week in London ... and sang along to pretty much the whole thing I all but lost my voice... I sing along at home too, as best I can - and probably upset my neighbours with a rather screechy version of repaid. - it's totally infectious and glorious!
Who in their right mind can resist the energy of " The wanting comes in waves" - (complete with oooos?). When you listen to it as a whole, which you must, and don't try to single out any part too much, the richness of it is totally operatic with very distinct choruses that - crucially - reprise and fuse and layer and give you those very catchy tunes/phrases that you do end up humming and wondering where they came from ... and the end ... well ... sublime, I
don't think I'm overplaying this - If you like music - metal, folk, rock, orchestral, prog, opera, you must like this. It's lush.
It's the best 'album' of the last 10 years. No one does anything like this anymore. Yes, it may leave the ADHD Ipod generation of "I like track 3" or "Can I steal that song from your hard drive?" clueless, but who cares? It is Zeppelin, Jefferson Airlplane, Shirley Collins, Bowie, and REM rolled into one.
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