the decemberists

The folk-rockers grand return is more than worthy of the long wait that they've put us all through - it's a high point of stylistic flourishes, emotional reveals, and impressive experimentation which even includes an epic closer clocking in at just under 20 mins! That they manage to do all of this and still sound as undeniably themselves as ever is proof (if proof was needed) that they're at the top of their game.

For over 20 years, The Decemberists have been one of the most original, daring, and thrilling American rock bands. Their distinctive brand of hyperliterate folk-rock set them apart from the start, releasing nine full-length albums that are unbound by genre and highly ambitious. Now the beloved indie band is back with their first new album in six years, 'As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again' - not only the longest Decemberists album to date (and their first intentional, proper double-LP) but also their most empathetic and accessible, its 13 songs like semaphores of mutual recognition for our fraught times and faint hope. Reuniting with producer Tucker Martine (R.E.M., Neko Case, Sufjan Stevens) who began working with the band on The Crane Wife, the album features R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, The Shins’ James Mercer and Lizzie Ellison on background vocals. This, songwriter Colin Meloy will tell you proudly, is the best Decemberists album and perhaps the ultimate realisation of 22 years of work.