The King Is Dead - The Decemberists @ Leeds Academy, 11th March 2011

I first heard of the Decemberists a couple of years ago on the Dark Was The Night compilation with Sleepless. The simple yet densely layered melodies and Colin Meloy's heartfelt vocal caught my ear and I listened to that one track several times over before moving on.

Shortly after this discovery, I found that the Decemberists were producing a prog/folk concept album. I rushed out and bought The Hazards Of Love and enjoyed it very much. The baroque stylings, the almost Shakespearean characters and the complex, prog-infused musical interplay was a great listen. A world away, though, from Sleepless, and the sound that first attracted me to the band.

And so we come to The King Is Dead. The latest release, and a return to their roots. Musically the album is an upbeat mix of simple melodies and complex harmonies. There is a subtlety to the music, each instrument clearly audible if you listen for it, and yet the whole seeming to spring from its constituent parts in a manner that belies its complexity.

Thematically, the album is steeped in Americana and folk tradition. Each song tells a story although, while lyrically simple, they are not always obvious. The folk-styled, heavily accented vocal of Colin Meloy work well on every track. His peculiar intonation, to my English ear, lends itself well to the sound. The feel of the songs vary dramatically, from the upbeat, uptempo jig of Rox In The Box to the more dreamy, melancholic sounds of June Hymn. Album opener Don't Carry It All is more like the sound of Sleepless, while This Is Why We Fight packs an emotional punch within its simple, traditionally structured lyrics that makes it a standout track on an album of great tracks.

Not long after hearing about the imminent release of The King Is Dead, I also found out that the Decemberists were planning a UK tour. The big day finally arrived last Friday as 23inertia and I headed over to Leeds Academy to see them play the new material. But before I wax lyrical on how amazing they were, and they were, I'll briefly mention the supporting act.

Blind Pilots are a relatively young indie folk band, also from Portland, OR. Having never heard of them, I obviously had no idea what to expect, but they turned out to be a very talented group. Utilising a wide variety of instruments and singer Israel Nebeker's vocal and songwriting talents. It's really good stuff. I had opportunity for a quick chat with the band after their set and they're a lovely bunch. Humble, talented, and producing great music. I picked up their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, from the merch stand and am enjoying it greatly.

Back to the Decemberists, then, and their live set. They are certainly an efficiently talented group, each member switching instruments as required for the various requirements of each song. Multi-instrumentalist and fantastically named Chris Funk had a rack with a variety of stringed instruments on it. Colin Meloy's between song banter was amusing and fitting with the tone of the event and really helped bring the audience and band together. The gig opened with a voiceover, ostensibly the mayor of Portland, encouraging the audience to get to know each other, wave and blow raspberries. A bit of silliness, but it set the mood off just right.

With a return to a more simple folk sound, eschewing the prog stylings of Hazards Of Love, the Decemberists have also returned to form. While Hazards Of Love was their magnum opus, The King Is Dead is a brilliant folk rock album with some wonderfully catchy songs.