Featured Band: The Decemberists

The Decemberists

Singing of ghosts and sailors and suicide-inclined lovers, The Decemberists are the banner act of indie folk. The Portland group, led by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy, indulges in both British folk rock and vingatge folk literature, weaving both into delicious musical narratives.

Pushing 18-minutes on some tracks (such as on the 5-part epic The Tain), The Decemberists never shy away from pushing the envelope. They easily overcame doubts of “selling out” after moving to Capitol Records with 2006's The Crane Wife – which centered around a Japanese folk tale but also featured Civil War love stories. Three years later, the group has released The Hazards of Love, their fifth full-length.

Much like The Crane Wife, Hazards sits upon an overarching story line of love and loss (oh, and a forest queen and some shapeshifters). Unlike The Crane Wife though, The Decemberists' latest album could be seen as one grand effort. There are few, if any, singles, and one has a difficult time discerning when one track begins and another ends. The bottom line is The Decemberists have produced another classic album in The Hazards of Love, one that could come to represent 2009 itself.

Stay tuned for more featured artists, and hear The Decemberists now on Future Perfect Radio.