Portland, Oregon's The Decemberists have been delivering their narrative folk music since 2001, and for much of that time and across their five previous albums they've delivered a contemporary take on classic British and Irish folk. The King Is Dead sees them back at it, but with one notable difference.
Somebody has almost completely cured them of their anglophilia. It's like they've suddenly looked around and realised that they live in a country with its own rich folk music heritage. They say a change is as good as a holiday, and the slight change of tack has infused these songs with a breezy freshness, and an undeniable charm. The result is a modern American folk rock record.
All the culprits of folk instrumentation rear their heads; acoustic guitars, accordion, harmonica, slide guitar, but never in an overbearingly rustic way. Admittedly the line between folk and country is a murky one, but country shouldn't be a dirty word. Johnny Cash was a country star, and there's nobody more rock and roll than that guy.
Musically there's plenty on offer here. Rox in the Box comes across like early R.E.M., Down By The Water calls to mind angry young Springsteen, and All Arise! is the country cousin of the Rolling Stones classic Tumbling Dice.
It's a good effort from The Decemberists, but I don't really feel like I'm doing it justice. After Iron & Wine and Bright Eyes I think I might be suffering folk fatigue. There's some lovely tracks on here. The pair of hymns (January Hymn, and June Hymn) are wonderful odes to summer and winter. I just feel like I could have been more receptive to the album if I wasn't folked out. Maybe I'll come back to it in six months or so and give it another try.
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