The Hazards of Love

Hazards of Love, Decemberists
Product arrived promptly, great condition. It's great working with Amazon, whom I've come to term Wish Fulfillment... you want it, they have it, and it comes to you quickly! In my opinion, the best thing since sliced bread [at the risk of showing my age!]

If I could give it more stars, I would
This is the first Decembrists recording I've ever heard; a friend knew how much I like the Waterboys and lent me this, saying, "You'll probably like this group, too." Yesterday while working at my desk I listened to it three--four?--possibly five?--times in a row. (By the way, that's my only off note in this review: If you want to listen to this, you owe it to the album and to yourself to listen (1) carefully, and (2) all the way through. It is definitely not background music.) Therefore, I didn't have any expectations of how the Decembrists should "sound." Having none, I think this recording strikes about as perfect a balance as anyone could expect: remarkable lyrics and melodies, spine-chilling vocals, and a virtuoso range of instrumental performances. There were times I was thinking "okay, sort of like the Waterboys"; other times, "okay, sort of like Sixpence None the Richer"; and other times "not like anyone I've heard." There are even a few slow, thundering guitar parts that reminded me a bit, believe it or not, of Led Zeppelin live. All of this diversity mixes into a quite coherent presentation. The vocalists: outstanding. When I said "spine-chilling," I meant it. Listen to the background voices begin to pile up on "The Rake's Song" ("All right, all right, all right!"). Or listen to the Queen's songs; when she rips into "This is how I am repaid" like Grace Slick on steroids, you'll be glad she's not YOUR mother. Or listen to the heart-breaking final choruses of "The Wanting Comes in Waves." By the time you have negotiated "The Hazards of Love," you will understand completely what the singer feels. Highly recommended; one of the most imaginative and talented productions I've had the privilege of hearing for a long time.

Not the best choice...
I am updating my review of this release. I still don't like it, but my original review was a little harsh towards those who do. My suggestion to anyone who is on the fence about buying this is to listen to all of the song snippets on Amazon before buying. Don't buy it on the strength of the reviews alone. It definitely seems to be an acquired taste and so far I have not acquired it.

Album of 2009
I only write reviews for CD's I think I can give a valued opinion on and, as this is only the second one I've done on Amazon, that should tell you something (or nothing). I picked this album up two days after its release on the suggestion of my friend. I was told it would be great driving music. Having never listened to anything by The Decemberists, I walked into Hazards of Love with no idea what I was going to hear. The end result of my trial run of this album was nothing short of mesmerizing. From the word go, a cavalcade of different sounds, each unique and never pretentious flooded my car through speakers as I dangerously reached for the CD booklet/insert to see just what in the blue blazes I was hearing. The musicality immediately grabbed me, as did the word usage in the first set of lyrics. Never in my life would I have anticipated such a roaring collection of bits of audible manna. The story found within this album is nothing short of wonderful, to start with. From the tale's origin to its shocking - and definingly tragic - conclusion, the love of two characters, mired against the love of a mother and the love (or lack thereof) of the nastiest character to ever be granted the title of Rake pits the listener against her/her own feelings, causing undeniable change in one's listening patterns. No longer will you listen for sing-songy tunes with catchy choruses (although this album does contain those, for instance, "Won't Want for Love") but instead allow yourself to be engulfed in this folk music fable. As for the music itself, as mentioned, it contains sounds unlike those heard from other current artists. Listening for organs, strange stringed instruments, and simple tinny percussion sounds throughout the album is a treat and a constant and wonderful surprise for the ears. Meloy, the group's lead singer, does a fine job of narrating the tale and taking us from Prelude to conclusion along with some fine guest vocalists in the parts of the female characters. Particular note goes to the vocalist portraying the Queen, Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond) who throws everything she's got into her role/songs. Listen to her bellow and moan her way through "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" with such ferocity and rage and you can picture her throwing her head back to both capture and release her entire being into those notes. This album destroys the concept of an iPod Shuffle, to some degree. You will rip it to your computer and throw it on your MP3 player, only to find that you will want to hear every track on the album, in order, if you hear just one. Some tracks can stand as "singles" (in the lightest sense of the word), such as "The Rake's Song" or the previously mentioned "Won't Want for Love", but overall, these pieces make up an entire entity; a living, breathing wonderland of shape-shifters and woodland royalty, ghosts and charms, chaos and stability. Doing anything but listening to the entire album as it was intended to be experienced cheapens the overall nature of the album. This is the best made, performed, and thought out album of the year thus far. Production values are through the roof and the overall quality of the experience you will have listening to it is enough to make it worth the full price. ***Note: the author of this review had never heard any Decemberists music prior to this album, but has since collected a fair amount of their material. The Crane Wife may be their second greatest album, but it is only behind The Hazards of Love by a very little margin***

Album of the year
I've listened to a hell of a lot of music over the past (nearly) forty years, and I think I know quality when I hear it. There are some spectacular musicians playing on this album, and some fantastic vocalists as well. Add in fantastic arrangements, and a kick ass story, and I have no idea why this shouldn't win album of the year. Honestly, this album is so ambitious, and pulled off so well, I cannot believe the Grammys can pass. I haven't repeatedly listened to an album this many times in quite a while. This thing is brilliant.