The rock opera has made a significant comeback in the 2000s. It’s an odd phenomenon, almost as a reaction to the simplicity of the grunge era. A rock opera can be an amazing journey or it can be nothing but pretention and bad poetry. Either way, it’s an incredible risk. With their fifth album, The Hazards of Love, The Decemberists officially throw their hat into the rock opera ring.
When most bands say they are making a rock opera, it’s usually to give their concept album a dash of high art. The Hazards of Love actually sounds like an opera. There are several recurring motifs and musical themes. The band returns to these themes to set the pace of the story, as well as move it along.
The storyline in a rock opera is usually convoluted, confusing and pretentious, and The Hazards of Love continues the tradition. Here’s the basic story, or at least what I could figure out. Margaret (voiced by Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond) is in love with a shape-shifter from the woods named William (voiced by Decemberists frontman and primary songwriter Colin Molloy). Margaret becomes pregnant with William’s child and goes on a quest in the woods to find him. Meanwhile the Forest Queen (voiced by Shara Worden) and her evil knave become jealous and threaten the couple’s happiness. Got it? Me neither.
Colin Molloy is a great songwriter. His writing is personal and evocative with just the right amount of drama. All of this is lost in the muck of prog rock. It’s really weird to hear Jimmy Page-like guitar riffing on a Decemberists album. It doesn’t feel like a Decemberists record at all. Halfway through, I thought I was listening to Rush or something.
The Hazards of Love’s biggest problem is also its greatest asset. The band fully committed to the idea of opera. The production is huge and bombastic. There are harpsichords, string sections, keyboards and mounds of guitars. The arrangements never sound too busy, and you can actually isolate each instrument. There are some really great melodies, especially in the “Hazards of Love” movement. Molloy’s acoustic guitar is simple and intricate. He plays with great taste and care. That’s what is so endearing about this record. Even though it never entirely works, it was a labor of true love. Not many bands have the balls to completely go outside of themselves, which the Decemberists have done here.
It’s always hard to review a rock opera. They are so complex and so intricate that it’s hard to tackle them in a few days. Maybe The Hazards of Love will age well, like Lou Reed’s 1973 opus, Berlin. Maybe I need to give it a few more spins. Maybe I’m missing something. After listening to it nonstop for three days, I am left puzzled and confused. I admire the band for having such vision and ambition. However, every great musical idea on this record gets swallowed up by the story. This album was done with the best of intentions, but unfortunately the good intentions are masked by flawed execution.