The concept behind The Decemberists fifth studio album 'The Hazards of Love' is a touch unconventional/ bizarre (delete as appropriate). Initially conceived with the simple task of creating a title track for a long-forgotten Annie Briggs 1966 EP of the same name, 'The Hazards of Love' morphed - rather inevitably in the hands of Colin Meloy - into an increasingly convoluted and multi-layered musical suite.

As with much of The Decemberists canon of work, 'The Hazards Of Love' takes its cues from the traditions and quirks of old folk songs and provincial folklore. Following fictional Margaret and her partner William ("a forest queen and a cold-blooded lascivious rake") this 17-song composition trails these two central characters on their intricate, otherworldly journeys; crafting a wilfully unique narrative along the way for listeners to immerse and ultimately lose themselves in. So far, so strange. But what follows is what The Decemberists do better than anyone else; namely coupling razor-sharp pop melodies to some of the most elaborate and ostentatious song forms in modern-day pop.

'The Hazards of Love' inevitably shifts and swells like an oceanic tide; each song sashaying into the next before reforming in the flash of an eye. From hushed country/ folk to freeform jazz experimentation and metal wig-outs, Meloy's songcraft is meticulous. You can almost feel him taking on the qualities of a wide-eyed conductor, baton in hand, guiding and managing this multifarious operation. From the brain-mush opening of 'Prelude' (enough to send local dogs quite mad) through to the album's ornate pinnacle 'The Wanting Comes In Waves', 'The Hazards of Love' is an impossible album to truly get a handle on. Only now, a dozen or so listens in, does it begin to make sense. And i mean begin....

For sure it's also all unashamedly surreal - Meloy's success with 'The Crane Wife' has evidently fanned the creative flames rather than stifle them - but the complexity and sheer scale of 'The Hazards of Love' usurps any idea that Meloy has slumped too far down the slippery slope of self-importance. After a while the obscure narrative also becomes almost immaterial alongside the vibrant and rich cascade of sound seeping from the speakers. The story itself gets lost because of the quality of the medium presenting it. How very Meloy.

The Decemberists will never release an album like 'The Hazards of Love' again. It's a one-off. It's a moment in time that will never be repeated. I adore it, yet it infuriates me constantly. I'm also pretty sure I will play no other album more this year.

'The Hazards of Love' is released through Rough Trade on March 23rd.

Official Site: www.decemberists.com
Words: Ian Bennett