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New album announced by the Decemberists. The album is 'The King Is Dead' and there is a free download of one track over on the bands website. I am really looking forward to this album. I think it will be a more song based effort this time. I think they pushed the prog concept stuff to the limits on Hazards of Love.

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I think it will be a more song based effort this time. I think they pushed the prog concept stuff to the limits on Hazards of Love.

 

Man, I hope so. The Hazards Of Love is a pretty rough listen. I haven't listened to that album straight through since the 2nd day after I got it and I rarely go back to listen to any of the songs from it. Hoping for better things this time around.

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I actually really liked Hazards of Love so I was quite surprised by all the negative comments about it. Really looking forward to the new one. So is this new one not a "Concept" album? I did hear Peter Buck played on it but not sure how much.

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I actually really liked Hazards of Love so I was quite surprised by all the negative comments about it. Really looking forward to the new one. So is this new one not a "Concept" album? I did hear Peter Buck played on it but not sure how much.

I liked 'Hazards of Love' too. Ignoring all the concept stuff there are some great songs on there. I just feel they have gone as far as they can in that direction and perhaps a more pared back approach would be good. In reference to the new album I am not sure of the style and content. I quite like the song I downloaded yesterday.

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Strange timing, this -- just listened to Hazards of Love last night for the first time since seeing them for that tour (a couple years ago?). Not a big Decemberists fan, but some of those songs really grabbed me. Especially charmed by the track (9?) that pairs accordion with pedal steel. (Except I don't like the vocals that precede the very lovely music.) Anyhow, it will be interesting to hear the new one.

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The Hazards of Love came out in 09, time must seem long in your world :P. I actually think "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)" is greater than any track they ever released, even on Picaresque, but hearing the new song recorded with Gillian Welch, I must concur they're bound to return to their old mould. In any case, there's something to look forward to in Januari, concept album or no.

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new song is just OK imo... not bad, but not great either. def sounds a lot like REM, which makes total sense.

 

put me in the camp that didn't love Hazards and actually only loves the first 2. hoping for a bit of a return to that.

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new song is just OK imo... not bad, but not great either. def sounds a lot like REM, which makes total sense.

 

put me in the camp that didn't love Hazards and actually only loves the first 2. hoping for a bit of a return to that.

The first thing I thought when I heard it was it sounds like REM. Take a listen to "The One I love".

 

Then listen carefully to the Decemberists Down by the Water especially at 47 and 57 seconds, then again at 110 seconds…and so on. There’s a riff there completely copied.

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there was a song on their third record that was very REM sounding. been too long...

 

one surprising thing - i think meloy has over 1,000,000 twitter followers. i wouldn't guess any of their albums have gone Gold, but i could be wrong.

 

http://www.spin.com/articles/colin-meloy-decemberists-simple-new-album

 

here he says he was listening to the Reckoning reissue a lot and wanted to write a song like that.

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That cover is a bit of a departure from the previous records. Reading comments from Mr. Meloy this album is far more 'American' that their recent output which has been heavily influenced by British/European folk. It has now emerged that Peter Buck plays on three tracks whilst Gilian Welsh sings on seven.

 

I am looking forward to this album. As stated earlier I did feel they had exhausted one particular avenue so it is nice to see them treading new pastures.

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i have listened to the first few tracks.

 

track one starts off just like a Tom Petty Wildflowers era single. I think "You Don't Know How It Feels." the melody/chords aren't alike i don't think, but the drum beat/sound is very close and then add in harmonica.

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You know, I've been pretty skeptical of this "rootsy Decemberists album" all along -- on the surface, it seemed like a kind of forced U-turn based on criticism of their recent proggy stuff -- but after listening five or six times, I'm ready to say The King is Dead is my favourite thing they've done since Castaways. I'm still not familiar enough with it to have favourite songs or particular highlights, but the album as a whole plays really, really well, and Gillian's vocals complement Meloy's surprisingly well.

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Finally got around to listening to the stream, and I'm really liking this. The REM influence is definitely all over the album. In general the album feels a lot more song focused and more like the first two albums they made rather than the last couple. Gillian Welch is a welcome addition as well. Nothing super-surprising here, but solid music.

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Never listened to The Decemberists until the stream of this new album. I love everything I hear. Help me out, what are the "essential tracks" from their previous albums?

I have made quite a few new Decemberists fans with the Itunes Live at Soho set. Its obviously available at Itunes and is as good as it gets. Usually I wouldnt suggest introductions on a live set but it is that good. If your going studio I'd say The Crane Wife album is a good place to start.

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