Capitol
2011/1/18
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_Is_Dead_(album)
The Decemberists - The King Is Dead sampler (excerpts: "Rise to Me", "January Hymn", "This Is Why We Fight")
1. 'Don't Carry It All'
2. 'Calamity Song'
3. 'Rise to Me'
4. 'Rox in the Box'
5. 'January Hymn'
6. 'Down by the Water'
7. 'All Arise!'
8. 'June Hymn'
9. 'This Is Why We Fight'
10. 'Dear Avery'
The first thing we noticed about The Decemberists remarkable new album The King Is Dead (January 18, Capitol) is the preponderance of pedal steel guitar and harmonica. Where exactly are we? The Portland band, fronted by the unassuming and über-creative songwriter Colin Meloy, has always had a solid foothold in uniquely American music, utilizing organic instrumentation to flesh out Meloy's eloquent storytelling. But the British folk influences that streaked through The Decemberists' The Hazards of Love have been brushed aside for a more southern, folk/rock twang on their new King. "I guess I've kind of come back to a lot of the more American music that got me going in the first place," says Meloy, "R.E.M. and Camper Van Beethoven and all these bands that borrowed from more American traditions like Neil Young and the Byrds."
It's tempting to simply throw the "Americana" tag around for Meloy's ten new songs and there are certainly plenty of reference points to back that up. But there's something deeper, darker and more nuanced going on here. Achingly gorgeous harmonies grace the album closer "Dear Avery" over a soft bed of acoustic strums, the lonely wail of pedal steel and electric piano sweetening. "June Hymn" begins like a lost Dylan outtake, a glorious troubadour song of harmonica and busking directness. R.E.M.'s Peter Buck lends a hand on three tracks and the 80's Athens, GA mystique is palpable on "Calamity Song" and "Why We Fight", brisk and invigorating mini-anthems of ragged majesty. Working again with producer Tucker Martine and featuring lovely harmonies from roots goddess Gillian Welch throughout the album, The Decemberists have once again found a way to subtly shock and awe for an album Meloy describes as "an exercise in restraint." Brilliant and invigorating, earthy and stark, The King Is Dead is set to start 2011 off on an exceptionally high note.
Decemberists - Hazards Of Love 愛的險境
Label Capitol
Release Date Mar 24, 2009
◎愛的形式充滿危險，愛的國度心醉神迷，十七首歌曲一氣喝成，帶你趟上這個荊棘滿佈又心醉神迷的奇幻旅程
◎獨立搖滾樂界最具文學素養樂團引頸企盼第五張原創專輯，發行首週空降美國告示牌專輯榜Top 14、告示牌數位專輯榜冠軍、iTunes專輯榜冠軍
◎聖潔處女、變形怪客、精神錯亂的暴戾女王、三位復仇童靈…The Decemberists再創顛峰、獻上一部寓言式的搖滾有聲書
◎Financial Times（滿分）、AMG、OMH、The Observer、Rolling Stone、The Skinny...等專業樂評全面四星高評，強勢問鼎各大獎項年度專輯頭號首選
◎荊棘芒刺、魔咒陷阱、微光哀歌、野獸女巫、淒美愛情…在英式民謠氣息、金屬重極質感、弦樂翩翩圍繞及攝魂人聲齊唱之間，我們全都看見
來自美國俄勒岡州Portland的「壓軸樂團The Decemberists」，由負責詞曲創作的靈魂人物主唱Colin Meloy 、吉他手Chris Funk、鍵盤手及手風琴Jenny Conlee、貝斯手Nate Query、及身兼多職的John Moen所組成。其中的領軍的Colin Meloy，擁有文學學士背景的他，憑藉其豐厚的文學修養，及對早期英國民謠音樂的喜愛，每每以音樂帶來充滿無限想像、創意奔馳的動人故事，使得The Decemberists在2002以首張專輯《Castaways and Cutouts》立刻在獨立樂界，以野火燎原之姿成為注目焦點。接連在2003推出的《Her Majesty The Decemberists》、還有2005的《Picaresque》，在樂評及歌迷的高度肯定之下，成功地建立起他們穩固的指標性地位。2006簽入主流新東家Capitol Records，以傳統的日本預言故事出發，發行《The Crane Wife》，這張高居2006年Amazon年最佳專輯榜單的第三名的作品，果然沒讓樂迷及評論界失望，挾著排山倒海而來的讚嘆，再創The Decemberists事業高峰。
荊棘、芒刺、陷阱、魔咒、微光、哀歌、晨風、野獸、薄熙、淒美詩篇…，在英式民謠氣息、金屬重極質感、弦樂翩翩圍繞及攝魂人聲齊唱之間，我們全都看見。新專輯《愛的險境Hazards Of Love》靈感的發想，來自於活躍於1960年代的英國名謠女歌手Anne Briggs，在1966所發行名稱為《The Hazards of Love》的EP，在製作方面，則找來在上張專輯《The Crane Wife》，再次締造樂團事業高峰的Tucker Martine共同打造。《The Hazards of Love》主要在講述一個住在城市森林旁的聖潔處女Margaret，和森林中，可以轉化形體的變形怪客William相愛，懷了孕的Margaret決心啟程進入森林尋找真愛William，而在尋找的過程，遇上精神錯亂的暴戾女王The Forest Queen和籌畫謀殺的好色掠奪者的百般阻撓。在詮釋角色方面，洛城知名民謠樂團Lavender Diamond的主唱Becky Stark，以清新溫暖的聲線擔任女主角Margaret一職，而獨立樂界優質大團My Brightest Diamond的主唱Shara Worden，則以她厚實沙啞的嗓音詮釋The Forest Queen的瘋狂，此外美國Alternative Rock指標樂團My Morning Jacket主唱Jim James、英國資深音樂人Robyn Hitchcock、芝加哥獨立樂團The Spinanes主唱Rebecca Gates，也都共同獻聲，建構出一部充滿寓言色彩的搖滾有聲書。
這張獨立搖滾樂界，最具文學素養的樂團，大家引頸企盼第五張原創專輯，發行首週強勢空降美國告示牌專輯榜Top 14、告示牌數位專輯榜冠軍、以及i Tunes專輯榜冠軍！而專業樂評也無一倖免、全面臣服大聲叫好，Financial Times（滿分）、AMG（四星）、OMH（四星）、The Observer（四星）、Rolling Stone（四星）、The Skinny（四星）…，為《Hazards Of Love》強勢問鼎各大獎項年度專輯，預留最佳位置！
專輯以〈The Hazards of Love〉歌曲為貫穿故事主軸，以四個篇幅來斷開不同情緒。〈The Hazards of Love 1〉隨著淡淡的哀愁踏上旅程，〈A Bower Scene〉帶著愛的勇氣邁向危機四伏的針葉叢林深處，鼓點轉換成步伐，〈Won`t Want for Love〉兀自吟唱著衷心祈禱。微光乍現，〈The Hazards of Love 2〉緊握得來不易的美好時光，就在〈The Queen`s Approach〉宣告暗黑勢力到來的同時，〈Isn`t It A Lovely Night?〉唱和著愛戀無限。〈The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid〉巨浪襲身、淹沒理智，張開雙臂、仰首高歌，準備和宿命奮力一戰，一邊迎向張牙舞爪的〈The Rake`s Song〉的來勢洶洶，一邊要抵抗〈The Queen`s Rebuke / The Crossing〉穿上歌德斗篷，腳踏貝斯音牆，在鬼魅人聲帶著毀滅決心齊聲飛舞之間的魔力。
〈Margaret in Captivity〉隔空呼喊真心之際，天使般地童音圍繞，淨潔弦樂飄散點綴無限光芒，〈The Hazards of Love 3〉再度展開復仇聖戰，就在〈The Wanting Comes in Waves〉裡下定沒有退路的決心。這個故事的結局會是如何，絕美動人的〈The Hazards of Love 4〉溫柔地說明了一切!
愛的形式充滿危險，愛的國度心醉神迷，17首歌曲一氣喝成，丟開你的iPod Shuffle的功能吧！一起踏上這荊棘滿佈又心醉神迷的奇幻旅程。
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