In many ways, a full rock opera is an inevitable evolution for The Decemberists. Nearly every song in their back catalog tells some sort of a story, and they’ve experimented with longer works such as 2003’s The Tain, an 18-minute rock interpretation of Celtic mythology. Nonetheless, The Hazards of Love sets a much loftier goal than any of the band’s previous works. Can even The Decemberists really pull off an hour-long song cycle about shape-shifters and forest queens?
Apparently they can.
The Hazards of Love technically offers 17 tracks, but they combine into one long suite in order to tell the tale of Margaret, a young woman who falls for a shapeshifter before being abducted by a homicidal rake (“rake” in the sense of “wealthy man with degenerate tastes,” not to be confused with the gardening implement). The story is, admittedly, rather eclectic; while the narrative informs the music from start to finish, after a certain point it becomes clear that The Decemberists care more about atmosphere than about a coherent plot.
Fortunately, The Decemberists are masters of atmosphere: the band excels at blending first-rate melodies with ornate lyrics, and The Hazards of Love is no exception. The Decemberists’ unique baroque-pop style defies definition, bar the vague moniker of “indie rock,” but it’s a perfect fit for the epic tone of the story. The album itself shifts between a virtually transcendent first half to a dangerous, surreal second section, a transition that’s bolstered by the addition of some surprising heavy metal influences. While it’s a bit disconcerting to hear a peaceful forest scene disrupted by shredding electric guitars, the discord pays off, resulting in a much more sonically powerful whole.
Another new element comes from two guest vocalists. The story is narrated in character, and while lead singer Colin Meloy does most of the work as both the shapeshifter William and the Rake. Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond) and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) sing the roles of Margaret and the Queen of the Forest, respectively. Stark’s breathy voice is occasionally overpowered by the instruments, but Worden dominates the album with her intense, forceful vocals; in fact, her premiere in “The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid” commences the record’s extreme tonal shift.
The Hazards of Love isn’t perfect. While it doesn’t offer much in the way of singles, that’s less a fault and more a natural result of the album’s structure. More surprising, unfortunately, is that the record lacks much of the dark, droll wit that colors many of the band’s most memorable songs. Even this is atoned for, however, with “The Rake’s Song,” in which the primary antagonist extols the virtues of infanticide. The gruesome subject matter is a perfect backdrop for Meloy’s wry sense of humor: “No more a rake, and no more a bachelor, I was wedded and it whetted my thirst / Until her womb started spilling out babies; only then did I reckon my curse.” It’s twisted, but amusingly so; unsurprisingly, it’s also one of the strongest individual tracks.
But then, The Hazards of Love isn’t about individual tracks. Where most records allow listeners to pick and choose songs, The Hazards of Love demands an hour of uninterrupted listening. Fortunately, it’s worth every minute. It may not be The Decemberists’ most accessible or convenient album (that’d be The Crane Wife), but as an overall experience, it’s among their most rewarding.
