“Annan Water” - The Decemberists
After a brief, friendly but mildly heated discussion with Matt regarding The Decemberists’ newest release, The Hazards of Love, I feel compelled to post in its defense before he gets his claws in you too deep, convincing you that it’s - what did you call it Matt? a piece of shit?
Any fan of The Decemberists knows that Colin Meloy has been a heartbeat away from putting out a full-fledged rock opera pretty much since the band’s inception, and, well, now he’s finally gone and done it. The Hazards of Love is the operatic story of a woman named Margaret, her lover - the evilly lecherous William, and a creepy forest witch (voice brilliantly provided by Shara Worden, aka My Brightest Diamond). If it sounds weird, melodramatic, and divisive, then that’s precisely because it is. It’s also prog-tastic.
It’s doubtful that Meloy is going to win any new fans with this one, but hard-core enthusiests will surely come around. And hell - whether you love it or hate it, at least the dude had the balls to do something different.
