The Decemberists - The King is Dead
BY BURAK ŞAHİN (IR/III)
burak_s@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Winter is at its strongest, and if you are looking for a partner to enjoy your coffee with in these cold days, The Decemberists have released their 6th album.
The band was established in 2000 led by singer and songwriter Colin Meloy. They had some changes in their line-up, but currently the other band members are Chris Funk, John Moen, Jenny Conlee, and Nate Query. The Decemberists' origin is Portland, Oregon, and not surprisingly their sound is indie folk. Colin Meloy and his friends released their first EP in 2001, followed by 5 studio albums and 4 EPs with an increasing momentum. Finally, their 6th album, The King is Dead was released on January 18. The album's name evokes The Smiths' The Queen is Dead, and Colin Meloy confirmed that the album name was inspired by The Smiths. Colin Meloy is already known as fan of The Smiths and it can be seen in similarity of lyrics between the bands.
The Decemberists returned to folk music sharply with The King is Dead. The first single from the album, "Down By the Water," gives us some clues about rest of the other songs. The tracks are more 
melodic and involve emotional and easily remembered lyrics. REM's guitarist Peter Buck also performed for the album on the tracks "Down By the Water," "Don't Carry It All," and "Calamity Song." All-Noise, from the UK, described album: "While some of the album bears a strong outside influence in Peter Buck, The King Is Dead is still unmistakably a Decemberists album. Its shift from 
narrative-led concepts to more stand-alone songs suggests the band are keen to move on creatively." Rolling Stone said about the songs: "The melodies are sticky, the harmonies sumptuous, the arrangements (centering on guitars, fiddle, accordion, harmonica and pedal steel) unfussy."
The album concept fits with the scene of drinking a coffee on a winter day, watching the snow on the window, and The King is Dead is playing at the background. Especially "Rox In the Box" and "January Hymn," one of my favorite songs in these days, will really help you get through the cold weather.