THE DECEMBERISTS
As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again (Y.A.B.B./Thirty Tigers)
After a six-year hiatus, The Decemberists are back with a new studio album replete with acoustic, spacey energy. It’s every bit as folk-rock-esque as their last, 2018’s I’ll Be Your Girl, but this one is more psychedelic.
The Portland band’s longest album to date, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is a double LP split into four thematic sides. The initial 12 tracks are impactful homages, each portraying themes such as mortality, solitude, yearning and discomfort. Joan In The Garden, which closes out the album over nearly 20 minutes, is entrancing and suspenseful; akin to a cross between Pink Floyd and Mumford and Sons, its dark, post-rock elements are as distinctive and powerful as Colin Meloy’s voice.
My pick of the lot, though, is the incredibly catchy America Made Me, whose piano part powers an upbeat song. A strong return from the Decemberists overall, ahead of their North American tour this year.
words DAVID JAMES
