The Decemberists - What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World (Album Review)
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Written by Laura Johnson
‘What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World’, the Decemberists’ seventh album and the follow up to 2011’s ‘The King Is Dead’, has been in the works for the last 18 months and finds the band grappling with expectations of increased maturity and development. And they live up to them. Sort of.
They have certainly taken a new direction, but exactly where they’ll end up seems unclear, even to them at times. The band have evolved considerably from the basic folk narratives of their ‘Five Songs’ EP, and continue to create multi-faceted songs with intimate lyrics, but Colin Meloy still can’t resist the wordy, sometimes self-indulgent, storytelling seen on Lake Song. If you loved ‘The Táin’, you’ll love this.
The album’s dynamic changes abruptly between tracks and, although individually the songs have their charms, as a whole it is somewhat disjointed. Philomena, with its doo wop-inspired chorus, and Cavalry Captain, with its Motown hook, are refreshing changes of pace when compared with the relatively safe folk that has become The Decemberists’ staple diet.
The band continue to shake things up with Celtic drums of Better Not Wake The Baby and blues guitar licks of Til The Water’s All Gone. But, as if to counterbalance that, Anti-Summersong sees the band return to what is most comfortable and, unfortunately, predictable.
A Beginning Song draws the album to a close and is the feather in its cap. It is a grandiose finale, a song that has Meloy asking: “I am hopeful, should I be hopeful?”. The answer is yes, as this is an indie anthem in the making; a meeting of insightful words and an evolving sound.
The Decemberists continue to mature musically this late in their career, and here their sound is nicely balanced, boasting thoughtful arrangements and words that pack an emotional punch. If A Beginning Song served as the album’s template it would surpass good and become great. But it doesn’t, so it isn’t. The Decemberists have only just fallen short this time around. Perhaps Meloy says it best himself: “I am wanting, should I be wanting?”.
The Decemberists Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Wed February 11 2015 - DUBLIN Vicar Street
Fri February 13 2015 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Sat February 14 2015 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Mon February 16 2015 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Tue February 17 2015 - MANCHESTER Academy
Wed February 18 2015 - BIRMINGHAM Institute
Fri February 20 2015 - BRIGHTON Dome
Sat February 21 2015 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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