The Hazards Of Love - Redux

The Decemberists, touring on The Hazards Of Love, will be in Denver on May 26th... at the Fillmore (sigh), but the potential amazing-ness associated with this performance outweigh the mediocrity of the venue. Shara Worden's powerful pipes alone are worth the price of admission, especially considering her inspired performance of "The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid" on Colbert recently. Thing is, the show is not yet sold out. And, yes, the Fillmore will be teeming with coiffed teens in skinny jeans, but this is going to be something special. More than just a rock show, it will be a storytelling, artistic, and escapist-18th Century-magic experience. I will be there... and probably will geek out and white-guy dance in place throughout the show.

The Hazards Of Love remains as divisive as I predicted in my review. I've found that even among The Decemberists ardent fans it is a fence album. In subsequent listens, the album has grown on me more and more. To the extent that I don't feel I described it fairly to begin with. The story is beautiful. The vocals are incredible. And the writing is perfect. Sure... it's a concept heavy album, but it is executed so well that even a bit of eccentricity on Colin Meloy's part must be excused. Specifically, "A Bower Scene" and "The Rake's Song," fling rock explosiveness in a way that was hinted at by The Tain. Really, it is the natural resultant of a progressing, if occasionally pretentiously artistic, band. So now, I recommend with even greater praise. Give the album time to grow on you. Let yourself understand the love of a captive, shape-shifting boy, and a charming girl, and the villainous mother and rakish child-murderer that stand between them. And take note of the chord change and the theme assigned to each character... and where revenge crops up to alter the tone.

A review of the new St. Vincent is upcoming... soon...