The Decemberists, a group that formed in 2000, has been around long enough to develop a constant sound. They know what their fans expect, and they know how to deliver that exactly. And this shows, not entirely in a good way, in their seventh studio album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, released January 20, 2015, with Capitol Records

‘The Singer Addresses His Audience’ is a powerful start to the album. It’s an interesting, tongue-in-cheek monologue that critiques the relationship between a band and its listeners. With lines like “We’re aware that you cut your hair in the style that our drummer wore in the video”, it makes its point effectively, and that point is presented as the vocals step up and down in carefully measured increments. All of this happens over well-produced instrumentation, as acoustic guitar and cello give way to electric guitar, kicking drums, and a thundering chorus.

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