Album Review: The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

The Decemberists have come out with As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. This album is versatile, exciting and an overall rollercoaster ride.

Starting out strong “Burial Ground” has a perfectly blended production of harmonies and rhythms. The addition of horns fits the overall vibe with ease as the message of leaving the world to meet at the burial ground is their triumphant escape.

“Long White Veil” is a proclamation of love as even the instruments are excitingly playing along with the lyrics to express how joyous it is to be seeing the bride. The guitar bends make it seem like there are words going along with the instrumental moments due to how they blend with the lyrics so seamlessly.

The eighth song on the album “All I Want Is You” is a slower love song going through the things that would usually be desired by the singer, however, they only want the person the song is dedicated to. The low vocal registers that are reached are greatly fitting for the deeper meaning of this song.

Getting back to an upbeat tempo, “Born To The Morning” starts out with an electronic and sci-fi sound. The vocals are almost hidden in the production to amplify the instruments and emphasize the solos throughout this track.

“Tell Me What’s On Your Mind” has a strong bass line that makes this song what it is. This track is groovy and mysterious until you listen to the lyrics. “But know that I’m on your side / How can I bring you around / back to solid ground / Tell me what’s on your mind / wait I don’t like to see you this way,” this song is about helping someone that needs to be comforted and loved. It has a beautiful message and great production.

The final song on the track “Joan In The Garden” is over 19 minutes long. It starts off with a gentle winding of electric guitar with not much else going on other than the story of the song. Around the five-minute mark, piano, blurred conversations and heavy drum beats start to appear and the song picks up. This song is broken up into parts, the third being experimental and the fourth and final being a rock outro.

As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is creative and well-produced. There are songs for all different moods and feelings.