Review Summary: I'm not going on just to sing another Summersong.
There are so many reasons
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World shouldn't work. It's almost scatterbrained in the sheer number of vibes and moods it covers. But instead of sounding disjointed, it's refreshingly human in its complexity. It melds together folk, pop and indie in ways that so many one-hit wonders have tried. But somehow, the sum is greater than the parts, bringing out the best parts of each genre and creating a sound that is uniquely Decemberist. There's no sweeping concept album this time, but these standalone, earthy tales resonate beautifully. I could go on, but I'm rambling.
Where to begin? Let's start with the dynamics, and how The Decemberists have absolutely mastered them. "The Singer Addresses His Audience" swells beautifully from a somber acoustic piece to a dissonant eruption. "A Beginning Song" is a wonderful closer, taking a slightly more linear path to its grand conclusion, but hitting all the right notes, with tasteful garnishes of strings and piano. But more than that, there's an ebb and flow to the album as a whole. Remember the 'scatterbrained' thing from earlier? It largely works because of some beautiful pacing. The cheeky "Calvary Captain" and "Philomena" easily flow into the more melancholy "Make You Better," preparing the listener for the beautiful "Lake Song" and jazzy "Till the Water's All Long Gone." The ballads don't kill momentum, nor do they feel tacked on or lazy. There's a subtle energy in everything, be it in "Lake Song"'s rambling delivery or "Carolina Low"'s hushed tension.
But all these macro-level things don't matter if the songs themselves aren't solid, and boy, do The Decemberists deliver on that front. Colin Meloy doesn't lose anything when he's not at the lofty heights of
The Crane Wife or
The Hazards of Love, trying to reinvent the wheel with each rock opera. Just look at "Make You Better":
But we're not so starry-eyed anymore
Like the perfect paramour you were in your letters
And won't it all just come around to make you
Let it all unbreak you to the day you met her
But it'd make you better
It'd make you better
None of this is to say The Decemberists have forgotten how to let loose. The accordion-and-banjo-laced "Better Not Wake The Baby" is half drinking song, half sea chanty, and the fact that it's over in under two minutes is practically a crime. "Anti-Summersong" deftly addresses the band's stylistic change, and the bassy backing vocals are a treat.
What a Terrible World truly shines in its cohesion. No instrument ever seems to be fighting the others for supremacy, and the sense of flow is remarkable. Whether credit for that lies with the production (which is very good) or the songwriting (which is stellar) remains to be seen. Every song here could stand on its own (yes, "Philomena"'s lyrics pack a few cringes, and "Easy Come, Easy Go" is pleasant but forgettable), but together they resonate even more powerfully. This album takes a few listens to unpack all the textures (the drumming, in particular, is subtlely gorgeous), but it's more than worth it. Whether this is your first Decemberists album or your seventh, it's time to find yourself a cozy spot, light a fire and soak up the folksy warmth of
What a Beautiful World.
