The Decemberists- As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
Label: YABB
Producer: Tucker Martine
From the outset of their recorded career in the early 2000s, The Decemberists have remained steadfast in their vision to create a brand of authentic Americana that was always as complex as it was accessible, cathartic as it was contagious. Even as they scored a mainstream moment in 2011 with their Billboard topping breakthrough, The King Is Dead, lead vocalist Collin Meloy and his band never wavered from the provoking thematic pulse or the fresh but rustic tapestry of their roots rock brand. These pillars remain richly at the core of As It Ever Was, the group’s ninth full-length and first in six years. The folk-rock jangle and ringing guitar riffs that immediately spring from the album opener and first single, “Burial Ground” instantly harken back to the definitive sixties anthems of The Byrds or even The Beatles’ early catalog, once again reaffirming that this band has mastered the balance between classic pop-rock contagion and cutting folk reflection. This tantalizing platter of fetching sound and guttural emotion provides the record with a strong foundation through equally irresistible tracks like “Long White Veil” and “William Fitzwilliam”. It also proves to be a solid launching-pad for more diverse sonic adventures, from the saucy brass of “Oh No!” or the grim avant garde of “The Reapers” to the haunting folklore of “Don’t Go to the Woods” and “The Black Maria” or the raw romance of “All I Want Is You”. Throughout it all, Meloy’s entrancing (and yes ever-REM recalling) rasp swells and seduces at all the proper moments, and the group’s harmonies remain as chilling as they’ve ever been. The individually raw textures of his songs and the band’s singular sound still reign as one of roots music’s greatest modern blends. And while the sheer audacity, perhaps borderline pretentiousness, of the album’s 19-minute closer “Joan in the Garden” may be a reward best reserved for only the group’s fiercest loyalists, it’s nonetheless a beautifully captivating moment if you grant it the time it warrants. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again? A brilliantly prophetic album title for a band the proves here that they are as resonant, relevant, and boldly stirring as any other moment in their career thus far.
Enjoying our content? Follow us on Facebook and subscribe using the links below!
Track Listing:
- “Burial Ground” (Collin Meloy)
- “Oh No!” (Meloy)
- “The Reapers” (Meloy)
- “Long White Veil” (Meloy)
- “William Fitzwilliam” (Meloy)
- “Don’t Go to the Woods” (Meloy)
- “The Black Maria” (Meloy)
- “All I Want Is You” (Meloy)
- “Born to the Morning” (Meloy)
- “America Made Me” (Meloy)
- “Tell Me What’s On Your Mind” (Meloy)
- “Never Satisfied” (Meloy)
- “Joan in the Garden” (Meloy)
The 706 