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The Decemberists ~ The King is Dead


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The Hazards of Love is one of the best albums I've ever heard, s I'm very glad that they didn't try and emulate it at all. The King is Dead is far more concise and, for want of a better word, poppy.

I absolutely love it; it is already my second favourite Decemberists album. Massively influenced by REM and The Waterbioys, who are two of my all-time favourite bands. Peter Buck plays guitar on the second track, which bears a heavy resemblance to early REM. I can't listen to it without hearing Talk About The Passion:

Rox in the Box lifts the melody from The Raggle Taggle Gypsy wholesale:

It is a traditional folk song, covered by hunners of artists over the years. The Decemberists are honouring their debt to Celtic folk by taking it on!

A quite brilliant record.

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Last night's set:

Down by the Water

Rox in the Box

Calamity Song

......We Both Go Down Together

The Engine Driver

The Bagman's Gambit

The Soldiering Life

Los Angeles, I'm Yours

Rise to Me

January Hymn

July, July!

Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)

The Rake's Song

O Valencia!

This is Why We Fight

--

The Island

June Hymn

Seriously excited for the Barrowlands gig.

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I liked the last album muchly, and 'Repaid' is one of the best things I heard for years, but the comparisons and influences bandied about here rather make it seem that I won't be in for this one. Its just my personal musical cosmology, I'll try and at least hear it, but don't really anticipate a result, suppose I could be wrong,

Also gotta say that I considered the last one to be much more folk-rock than prog, closest it got was that wee Deep Purpley freak out that was 'The Crossing'. Bugger all like the shite I associate with that description.

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Jennee's organ sounds are vaguely prog-y, and there are certainly elements of straight up classic rock in Colin's riffing on Hazards, but it is in no way a prog album. Not even close. It's a very British folk-rock record. And a goddamn amazing one!

Pierre - just get the new album and give it a chance. It is everything you would hope for in a Decemberists record.

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