2024

As it Ever Was So It Will Be Again - 87%

The Decemberists have evolved into a band that has control over every aspect of their sound. They self-crafted a niche for themselves over the years, based on old fashioned pop music and elegant chamber sounds (opening “Burial Ground” is the quintessential example, sad but perfect pop ballad); but they also excel at being quite unpredictable. So this album covers all aspects of their sound- in a way, they always sound like a holiday band, but there is a menace to a lot of their stuff too, like a disturbed pirate ship crew run amok. "Long Black Veil" is an obvious new classic, merging the country folk of old into something uniquely theirs. “Oh No” has a sort of Spanish flair which works pretty well for them as mainly what the band tries are variants on traditional music.

More traditional folk ballads are found on “All I want is You” and “William Fitzwillam”, which they perform effortlessly but with also having a lot of emotional resonance. “Born in the Morning” performs some psychedelic rock wizardry, and “America Made Me” is the pallet cleanser for the record showing off the band in full operatic power. At least, until the closing song on the album, the nineteen minute closer "Joan in the Garden " which is basically like throwing their EP The Tain (2004, 20 years ago wow) onto the end of the record. Stating off as modest pop song with a killer hook and evolving into full blown 70’s arena rock excess at the end- you to admire how all their influences coalesce into something uniquely them (not to mention the pure noise/abstract section in the middle). In all, it’s the best album the band has made in about 15 years that shows off what they do in a perfect way.