Anyone who's followed the loquacious, decades-long career of The Decemberists knows singer-songwriter Colin Meloy is a wordsmith. Sometimes fanciful, sometimes dark, often epic and steeped in lore, the beloved baroque pop rockers frequently weave intricate stories of blue-collar industrial types (mariners, chimney sweeps, train operators) alongside political statements on conceptually dense albums. Crafting sonic novellas, Meloy spins theatrical balladry and pop gems in his instantly recognizable, quavering, singsong vocals.
The Portland-based five-piece has tried on some genres with gusto on eight studio records over 22 years, but there are some things that they just keep coming back to. Thus, it's appropriate that their ninth offering — and first in six years — was christened "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again." Self-released on June 14 on the band's own YABB Records, surprisingly it's The Decemberists' first independently released full-length.
After almost two decades on Capitol Records and prior stints with Portland indies Kill Rock Stars and Hush Records in the early aughts, the label takes its name from the closing track on the band's 2002 debut, "Castaways and Cutouts."
"Come join the youth and beauty brigade, nothing will stand in our way," Meloy sings on "Youth and Beauty Brigade," placing the final punctuation mark at the end of his band's debut effort — a song that also includes the album's title lyric.
It seems "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again." On the new record, that's "the last line of the last song, or maybe the penultimate line," Meloy explains. "Sometimes I feel like the last song on a record ends up in that position because in some way it speaks to a broader whole. And I think similarly, an ending line can serve the same purpose," he said. When, "we were searching around for a title for the record, I kept coming back to that line. I'm not entirely sure what it means but it felt like a good title."
"What it means" is that The Decemberists are back. After years of consistently recording and releasing records and touring in support of them, the band members have grown up, started families, bought houses, watched the pandemic break the live music industry and delved into side projects.
The return of Meloy with guitar player Chris Funk, drummer John Moen, bassist Nate Query and Jenny Conlee on the keys and accordion brings a familiarity with it. The band's imaginative brand of idiosyncratic music is distinct, and its fans are steadfast, likely leaning more to the super end of the spectrum than the casual. Hanging on every word, dissecting lyrics and discovering the histories that inspire the spirited tales Meloy sings, "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again" is sure to appease those who have been waiting.
With 13 songs, it's the lengthiest Decemberists album (and features the band's longest song, the experimental folk-prog-metal mashup "Joan in the Garden," at almost 20 minutes) and an intentional double LP that's split into four thematic sides.
Meloy will proudly tell you he believes it's the best Decemberists album to date. "This might be a feeling that accompanies every record, but I felt, on more than one occasion [while] working on this record, 'I think this is the best thing that we've done.' Whether that bears out, I don't know if I'm the right person to judge that, unfortunately," he laughs. "But I do think it's our best work."
When making a record "there's invariably going to be highs and lows," he continues. "Sometimes your read on what the high and low is is not accurate, you know? And so you make work that you like, that you connect with, that you can stand behind, and you put it out in the world. And I guess it's sort of everybody else's job to gauge whether or not it resonates."
“You make work that you like, that you connect with, that you can stand behind, and you put it out in the world. It’s everybody else’s job to gauge whether or not it resonates.” —Colin Meloy, The Decemberists
Four out of the last five Decemberists records were helmed by Portland producer Tucker Martine (who's worked with the likes of R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, First Aid Kit, Sufjan Stevens and many more). "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again" marks his fifth time behind the board for the band, although that's not what Meloy intended.
Initially, the band rented Martine's Flora Recording & Playback. "We started recording, just kind of messing around in the studio and thinking that we would move towards producing ourselves. But I think we really quickly got off track," Meloy describes. "I think that was because we didn't have somebody in the control room, kind of an objective creative partner who's keeping us on track, keeping me on track. I also missed having that person outside of the band who could offer input."
Meloy booked time with Martine, bringing him on board as producer... "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again." In an attempt to "break out of old habits and old patterns, we inverted the recording process" starting out "with myself and Tucker, working together in the studio closely, and then [we] started bringing in the band members one by one."
Some special guests showed up too, with Meloy and Martine inviting The Shins' James Mercer to contribute vocals to jangly opening track, "Burial Ground." Meanwhile, Mike Mills of R.E.M. wrapped up his tour with The Baseball Project in Portland and changed his flight home so he could hit the studio in the morning, proffering piano and vocals on "Joan in the Garden"—that musical saga that closes the record.
Through all the time between when the seeds of YABB were planted in 2002 to this summer's release of "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again," The Decemberists—thanks to years of work—are now an "indie" band.
"We finally fit that description that people have been giving us for the last 15 years, even though we weren't," Meloy laughs.
After 22 years it's easier to take in the big picture, and The Decemberists' latest lyrical adage holds true: "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again."
