Word: meloyã
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...melodramatic plot. But when the album is viewed as one cohesive folk-rock project, it acts as a bold statement of the band’s ambition.While the Portland-based band’s previous album, “The Crane Wife,” showcased frontman Colin Meloy??s affinity for lyrical storytelling, “The Hazards of Love,” the band’s fifth studio recording, takes these inclinations to an entirely new level. An hour-long saga of compelling fury that demands to be listened to in its entirety, it follows...
...album opens in medias res with “The Crane Wife #3,” the sensuous and sorrowful conclusion of a three-part epic based on a Japanese myth. Singer-songwriter Meloy??s repeated lament, “I will hang my head / hang my head low” sets the tone for album’s folk-rock journey through tales of calamity, personal loss, and unsavory deeds...
...that said, if these arcane stories feel slightly repetitive, it is only because of Meloy??s previous success—no other band comes remotely close to his tragic sketches and roguish tales. Although one can imagine Capitol Record’s hand behind radio-perfect songs like “O Valencia!” or the disco-beat of “Perfect Crime #2,” by and large the Decemberists newfound musical depth naturally fits Meloy??s sublime stories...
What do they sound like? Well, Meloy??s songwriting does echo the sound of bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, Belle & Sebastian, and Robyn Hitchcock, who affix pop sensibilities on intricate, narrative lyrics. But perhaps musical reference points aren’t the best way to describe what makes Meloy??s songs so indelible. More than anything else, Meloy is like a musical version of writer/publisher Dave Eggers and much of the McSweeney’s coterie, effortlessly blending wry tongue-in-cheek humor with genuinely-felt storytelling...
...indie-rock press, much has been made of Meloy??s choice to cover songs by former Smiths frontman Morrissey during this solo tour. Meloy is nowhere near the ostentatious firebrand that Morrissey is, but he’s picked up the Moz’s mischievous sense of humor, penchant for unreliable lyrical narrators, and lack of inhibition when it comes to appearing sensitive or effeminate...