Decemberists – The Hazards of Love

Posted on | April 3, 2009 | No Comments

hazards_of_love On The Hazards of Love, The Decemberists have created a veritable sea of influence, noting and exalting the connecting thread between 60s British folk music (think Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention) and 70s rock and metal (think Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath). However, they have managed to take a fresh listen to these master storytellers, and craft an original story very much their own.

The epic nature of the songs, the tales of love and despair, and the dramatic delivery make a great showcase for these musical cousins, and the connection between them grows more obvious as you trace their roots to the Celtic ballads of old. If someone wasn’t being murdered, or dying of a broken heart, lost at sea or trapped in a castle, it just wasn’t worth singing about. The Celts set the emo highbar and laid the trail for numerous genres to walk upon.

The Hazards of Love is an accomplished album that has me wondering just how they pieced this thing together. The woeful and mystical tale of Margaret and William is told through 17 songs in theatrical fashion, with prelude and reprise, love, death, despair and danger. These themes are woven throughout the album, presenting in varying forms and incarnations, each one touching, thoughtful and beautiful.

This is a treasure filled with images and emotions that deserve to be experienced. Swim slowly through this little masterpiece and let it’s tale wash over and through you.

House of Cat

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Decemberists – The Hazards of Love

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