The indie rock darlings The Decembrists have returned with another album of their branded folk rock. The band have taken a little side-step into alt. country music well a deeper step lets say. I actually don't mind The King Is Dead overall. The songs are pleasant well crafted and definable. This is a huge improvement from the bands last album of over orchestrated and absurdly ambitious music called The Hazards Of Love. That album lacked chorus's and song structure as it was pretty much a 70 minute jam session with some pauses.
Here the band have crafted some good songs like the opening cut "Don't Carry It All" that is breezy and has a nice harmonica bit during the chorus. "Rox In The Box" another of the standout tracks reminiscent of Bob Dylan's great songwriting. Lead single “Down By the Water” employs the tricks of “Don’t Carry It All” to similar effect in a raucous success. There are some dips in quality, yes. “This Is Why We Fight” has a Smiths-tinged tenseness and melancholy, but also shockingly weak lyrics for a writer like Meloy, while “Dear Avery” never quite seems to get going.
For all its rural pedigrees, The King Is Dead is still a clean and meticulously crafted album; the production is smooth and the performances are unnervingly error-free. Consequently, it's missing a little vulnerability-- the best Americana records tend to feel a little lawless, but the Decemberists just can't quite relinquish control.
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