THE HAZARDS OF LOVE

I have just discovered The Decemberists and I'm enjoying a lot their music. I have always like folk music, but most of the times I found the fusion with rock very lame and not organic, just like a nice addition but in the case of this band, the approach is just what I have always wait for.

The singer kept my attention right away, he sounds like a "clean" version of Eddy Vedder and his voice fits great with the songs, sometimes rocking without being heavy and then sounding very good with the more clean parts. I like how all the instruments have a lot of life and space in this album. The organs are very organic, the acoustic guitars are very fresh and the "heavy" parts are good, not just a wall of distor. The moods are very fresh and I find the music excellent to relax a bit but also to enjoy, because it doesn't lack of energy. I love the female singer lead vocals, I just found it wonderful and the vibe of the music, very enjoyable, really.

People can describe this is just conceptual Alternative rock, and maybe they are right, but the music is good enough to enjoy without labels upon it. I think the goal of music is to make you feel something, rather than make you think about something, and this is the best example of that. There's a lot of emotion and the vibe most of the times is smooth, but the intensity of the playing and the concept of sounds building up emotions is what I love of this kind of music.

The folk instruments used in the album, like Cellos, banjo, accordion and others just help to build up the space and made the music very organic.

Now, I have two things to point out: folk music is not "old" and you will find a lot of interesting elements here and it surely worth the listen. Especially if you are a regular alternative rock listener, this will be a winner for you.

The second thing, I don't know if someone can help me but I found the acoustic guitar in "Margaret in Captivity" is a total reference (mean a total rip off) of the acoustic guitar in the end of Jeremy of Pearl Jam. Did anyone else notice it?

All in all, this music worth the listen, totally, is just that I'm not sure if it could be a Masterpiece in this subgenre, but I can assure you that is an excellent addition to your collection. Don't miss this please, if you really want music with a lot of sense, conceptual, well composed and played and with a lot of soul, this album worth the listen. You will like it. 4 stars.

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