The Decemberists Hazards Of Love Review

Yet another perfect album from The Decembersits! Focusing heavily on story telling this is a concept album at its best. This is the story of Margaret and William; two lovers plus Rake and The Queen and all of their journeys through the hazards of love.

***If you do not want to know certain details (most) from the story please do not keep reading...These are my interpretations...Enjoy!***

Starting with the Prelude the listener gets a heavy dose of the organ to make for a sad vibe with a woman’s voice in the background.

From the end of the first song all the way to the end of the entire album the music never really stops. Each song flows together and the music sometimes tells more of the story than the lines that the characters have. There are so many different ties and everything comes together at the end, very nice!

The first part of the hazards of love seems to be the actual meeting and being blinded by what is called true and perfect love, which is not a bad thing in the story. Margaret and William go on through the album and the listener finds out that Margaret may be pregnant? The second part of the hazards of love is realizing that you both have to put everything on the line to make this perfect love work, even if it comes down to life.

The Queen gets introduced through the instruments and there is a haunting note ringing through most of the song that leaks into the next song that Margaret and William sing together...This song is a cute, back and forth, poetic speaking between the two lovers. Informing the listener that things are safe with the two of them.

William and The Queen have a song like this as well. William is pleading with The Queen (his mother) to let him have a night with Margaret...When The Queen starts to speak that song goes from light to very heavy with the instruments. The Queen says that William can have his night, but then he must give himself back in the morning.

Then there is the Interlude, which is a soft acoustic sound to resemble the night that Margaret and William are having together!

We are then introduced to Rake. He is going through a hard time because he married for love and his wife started having way too many children with him (his curse). The last child dies during birth taking his wife with. Rake, for the love of his wife, kills all of his children...

Margaret is then abducted in the next song. The music points the finger at Rake or The Queen...

Later we find out that The Queen hired Rake to take Margaret from William...Rake then is haunted by his children and pays for his sins.

Obviously the third part of the hazards of love comes in as revenge. The fourth and final part of the hazards of love is drowning. “We both go down together.” Margaret and William eternally get each other at the end. They are free from all of these hazards as they pass to a better place, sealed with a kiss from William to Margaret.

This is such an amazing album from beginning to end! The best parts are when the happy, light noises of William speaking switch to his heavy, noised Mother whom has a very strong, haunting voice!

This is not the happy side of The Decemberists. This is an extremly artisic album! I give it a 9.3/10.0!!!

Look for The Decemberists maybe signing on to play at Lollapalooza!?!