One of my favourite uber-articulate indie/folk/sea-shanty band, the Decemeberists have announced that their brand new, country-influenced album The King Is Dead is now streaming! The King Is Dead is set to drop January 18th in North America via Capital, but if you are curious whether or not you are going to love it then head on over to NPR Music’s website to stream it in its entirety.
The King Is Dead is rumoured to be a simpler, stripped-down, Americana album, unlike the 2009 grand-scale rock opera The Hazards of Love. The album features R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck playing on three of the album’s 10 songs, and roots-country wailer Gillian Welch on seven. The album was produced by Tucker Martine and was recorded on a farm outside Portland, Oregon.
You can give the lead single “Down by the Water” a listen to below, and then the whole album here.