Album of the Day (Special Edition)

The Hazards of Love, by The Decemberists (2009): I was off in Richmond last week (hence, light blogging then), and so was unable to score a copy of the new Decemberists opus. Thankfully, the girlfriend was looking out for me and brought a copy down with her for the weekend - thanks, honey! Laid up ill today (and, perhaps, for a few more days - hence, more light blogging), I had a chance to lay down and listen to it, curled up with the liner notes and everything. That's important, as it's basically one long piece of music (17 separate tracks segued together) that tells a story. That's right, friends - it's a concept album!

And a damned fine one, at that. I agree with what some people have said that it's sort of a mix between The Tain and The Crane Wife. One thing, for sure - it rocks harder than anything else they've done. Granted, if your favorite Decemberists stuff is the shorter catchier stand alone tunes, this one probably will not rock your world. Which is too bad, really.