30-06-2024, 13:14
THE DECEMBERISTS ~ As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
![[Image: The-Decemberists.jpg]](https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/65f98ec1232ed212d0158d33/1:1/w_450%2Cc_limit/The-Decemberists.jpg)
Right – finally got to hear the whole album. Shewy – it’s quite a lot to digest. And not entirely my cup of tea, TBH. Too densely packed – an hour and seven minutes of quite serious stuff and not much breathing room. I do like the epic “Joan in the Garden” but am not sold on what seems to me to be a lot of Gothic subject matter (long white veils, etc.) in a substantial percentage of the other tracks. The cover artwork seems to allude to a return to an ideal - i.e the garden of Eden where the lion and the lamb lie down together. It fits the title but I'm not entirely sure why this choice - maybe it's hopeful!
They are super nerdy songwriters – well Colin Meloy is at any rate, and I don’t mind that – they draw on history and historic characters, it’s a modus operandi – I just think that the album could use some air and less intensity/earnestness. Or maybe it’s the present frame of mind I’m in! Who knows?? As far as I can see the album has received good press, so probably a good idea to give it a whirl if so inclined.
On a more positive note, I do believe that this might be the most musically accomplished album I have heard from them – that side of things all seems very together and there is a good range of sounds including a few rockier moments than they may have ventured into before.
Already posted the epic track so here's another ...
Right – finally got to hear the whole album. Shewy – it’s quite a lot to digest. And not entirely my cup of tea, TBH. Too densely packed – an hour and seven minutes of quite serious stuff and not much breathing room. I do like the epic “Joan in the Garden” but am not sold on what seems to me to be a lot of Gothic subject matter (long white veils, etc.) in a substantial percentage of the other tracks. The cover artwork seems to allude to a return to an ideal - i.e the garden of Eden where the lion and the lamb lie down together. It fits the title but I'm not entirely sure why this choice - maybe it's hopeful!
They are super nerdy songwriters – well Colin Meloy is at any rate, and I don’t mind that – they draw on history and historic characters, it’s a modus operandi – I just think that the album could use some air and less intensity/earnestness. Or maybe it’s the present frame of mind I’m in! Who knows?? As far as I can see the album has received good press, so probably a good idea to give it a whirl if so inclined.
On a more positive note, I do believe that this might be the most musically accomplished album I have heard from them – that side of things all seems very together and there is a good range of sounds including a few rockier moments than they may have ventured into before.
Already posted the epic track so here's another ...
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
