The Decemberists have always set out to craft larger-than-life albums, chock full of visceral plotlines, eccentric instrumentation, and just a hint of pop experimentation to keep the whole ship afloat. Such is the expectation from this Portland, Oregon quintet who have made a career out of being just off-kilter enough to keep latte-sipping hipsters satisfied. But for The King Is Dead, the band’s 6^th studio album and 3^rd on Capital Records throw all expectation out of the window.Gone are the grandiose plot lines that twist and turn for almost an hour. Instead Colin Meloy (lead vocals, chief lyrics/storytelling, guitars), Chris Funk (guitars), Jenny Conlee (keys, accordion), Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (percussion) channel their inner rock legends and mix in a little R.E.M to concoct not only their most accessible album yet but also their most satisfying.
 
The King Is Dead kicks off with “Don’t Carry It All Away,” a Tom Petty-esque tune accented by a sleek harmonica. “Let the yoke fall from our shoulders // Don’t carry it all don’t carry it all // We are all our hands in holders // Beneath this bold and brilliant sun // This I swear to all,” Meloy sings earnestly. “Calamity Song,” a discourse on community, follows, presenting a driving beat to go along with the stellar commentary.
 
The Decemberists step off the accelerator for the country-influenced “Rise To Me” where Meloy directly address his son, Henry: “Hey Henry, can you hear me // Let me see those eyes // This distance, between us // Can seem a mountain size // But boy, you are gonna stand your ground.” The band picks things up for “Rox In A Box,” a track that is different from anything The Decemberists have attempted in their previous five albums. Some listeners will be finding themselves with the urge to do a jig when the band drops into a accordion solo midway through the tune!
 
A theme throughout the album is the use of seasons to symbolize inner emotion. Complimentary acoustic tracks “January Hymn” and “June Hymn” both use this technique to great success.
 
The King Is Dead’s lead single, “Down By The Water” is a fantastic coming-of-age song that has hints of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger. Singer-songwriter Gillian Welch lends her unique harmonizing vocals to great success on the single. It is followed by “All Rise!” a track that would not be out of place in a Texas dive bar.
 
The album closes out with “This Is Why We Fight,” an ambiguous, toe-tapping tune that is as dark as it is empowering. Meloy bellows, “When we die // We will die // With our arms unbound” with such conviction that the listener is helpless to not be moved. “Dear Avery” ends the album with an open letter to a long-lost pupil of some sort, be it a child, sibling, or good friend. Lyrically much in the guise of Dustin Kensrue’s “Please Come Home,” it is a fitting way to end a record that is about maturation and empowerment.
 
The King Is Dead is an album that is unlike any other The Decemberists have crafted. Some may criticize it for not having the same depth as their previous outputs, but Meloy and Co. were not out to recreate The Hazards Of Love or The Crane Wife. With The King Is Dead The Decemberists have reinvented themselves once again, and one would be remised if one squandered an opportunity to take forty minutes out of the day to listen to an album of such exceptional eminence.
 
****/*****

*This review was composed by Michael Meeze