The Decemberists’ last album topped the US charts, so have a listen to the follow up from these literary folkies and let us know your thoughts!

The Decemberists’ last album, The King Is Dead, is one of the least likely albums ever to enter the US charts at No 1 – wordy folk pop from a group who look like supply teachers? What was going on? It certainly makes their follow-up, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, an intriguing proposition. Will it once again feature pop songs? Or will it be a return to the lengthy, conceptual pieces of previous records?

“I think the idea was let’s just go into this blessedly free of concept,” says frontman Colin Meloy. “The idea was let’s give ourselves time and let the songs dictate what that cohesiveness would be. That was something we had never done. It was conceptual in the sense we wanted to to take away all concepts, and as an experiment take all the time we needed to make the record.”

The result is a lush, gorgeous and at times deeply personal album. Have a a listen and let us know what you think.

