Complicated story lines and high concepts were becoming standard for The Decemberists. Their latest release is straightforward, but still manages to be elaborate.
“What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World” is the indie-folk-rock band’s seventh album; overtime the band has aged and changed – in this case, their shift in music moves in a more potent direction.
On the first track of the album “The Singer Addresses his Audience,” lead singer Colin Meloy does exactly what the title suggests.
The band is so self-aware of how much they changed that this album begins with an apology. Hopefully fans will understand.
Meloy wails, “We know you grew your arms around us / and the hopes we wouldn’t change / But we had to change / Some.”
The nods to some of the things they are asking forgiveness for are actually quite funny.
If you have cut your hair in a style replicating the band’s drummer John Moen, or are mad that you heard the band’s music on an Axe commercial – Meloy really feels bad about that.
Of course, the apology may come off as sarcastic, but Meloy’s voice is sincere. Take it or leave it, it’s a bold gesture to begin the album with such a statement.
Their previous two albums were made with unifying themes and concepts in mind. “Hazards of Love” from 2009 was a rock opera, and for “The King is Dead,” released in 2011, the band employed Americana tunes.
Four years later and the group has decided to leave the gimmicks in the past by making an album with songs in the same genre, which still offer a variety of folk elements.
Because there is no consistency in topic, each song can stand alone. Tracks don’t feel like missing pieces when heard independently like some tracks did before in previous releases.
However, the album is almost an hour long. It’s easy to dismiss some of the songs or grant them the merit they might deserve simply because the album could have been condensed.
“Easy Come, Easy Go,” is an ode to the life of Limber Jack who faces an unfortunate, sudden death.
The way the song is sonically composed seems like perhaps Limber Jack was some sort of cowboy. The lyrics are vague on the character, but this song belongs in a western soundtrack as it gallops along.
Other tracks also work on various levels of wit. They are never explicit in the meaning and leave much up to interpretation.
“Philomena” sounds like a sweet love song, but under further inspection is riddled with sexual innuendo.
Lyrics like, “All I ever wanted in the world was just to live to see a naked girl / But I found I’ve quickly bored / wanted more,” explicitly explore some of Meloy’s perversions that are otherwise hidden throughout the track.
There is a balance in the album attributing many life experiences.
Harmonica heavy “12/17/12” was inspired by the Newtown shootings. It’s a sad and somber song filled with helplessness. When the name of the album is used as a lyric, “What a terrible world / what a beautiful world,” the words are simply chilling.
The band knows the change was inevitable. While this is not a concept album, it’s still an album about life itself, which can be full of unexpected surprises and changes.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Release Date: Jan. 20
Capitol Records
