A few weeks ago, on one of our usual jaunts to the bookstore, I ending up buying The Decemberists' new album, The Hazards of Love. I have to be honest, I wasn't sure I liked it at first. It reminded me a little of The Crane Wife, I think, which is probably my least favorite album of theirs. Too much prog rock. Also the concept of this one being a folk opera was sort of lost on me. I don't know why.

As I understand it, the basic story is this [spoilers ahead, clearly]:

A young girl named Margaret is riding in the forest one day when she happens upon a wounded fawn. Being the kind soul that she is, she dismounts from her horse and stops to attend to it. But as she draws nearer, she realizes something is amiss. No sooner does she think this than the fawn changes into a boy named William. Margaret is entranced -- as is William. The two share a romp and she returns home pregnant.

When her condition becomes apparent, Margaret wanders back to William. The two profess their love in a bed of clover. Sadly, though, their bliss is short-lived. William's mother, the Queen of the forest, sees the two and falls into a jealous rage. She saved William when he was a babe, protecting him from "the world of men" by granting him shape-shifting abilities. He belongs to her. She comes slithering through the underbrush to destroy him, but William begs her to spare him for one night. The Queen agrees on the condition that William offer up his life to her on the morning.

That night, as Margaret and William are sleeping, a devilish Rake steals into the forest and abducts Margaret. He makes it to the other side of the wood with the aid of the Queen, who helps him ford a dangerous river. Several hours later, William awakens to find Margaret gone. He follows the Rake's path to the river and appeases the waters with a promise of his own soul ("So calm your waves and slow the churn/ and you may have my precious bones on my return.") Meanwhile, the Rake has taken Margaret to his tower. He has plans to ravage her, but at the crucial moment, he is overtaken by ghosts. His children, whom he murdered earlier in the tale, have returned to take their revenge.

William and Margaret are ultimately reunited. But William has promised too much to too many. The lovers forge a boat to cross the river, perhaps thinking they are safe. The promise remains, though, and before long the waves wash over them and they are drowned.

- - - -
You can see that as far as ballads go, this one is quite typical. You've got your star-crossed lovers, your white and dark spells, your villains. The lyrics serve the story well, but as other critics have pointed out, they feel a tad forced in places. What stands out here more than the words are the voices behind them. The Decemberists are good about bringing new blood into the group, and on this album there are two guest vocalists, Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and Becky Stark of Lavendar Diamond. I discovered Worden years ago on Pandora and have listened to her on and off since then. She's great here. Her warbly, dusky voice lends itself well to the frustrations of the thwarted Queen. Stark was new to me, but a good fit for Margaret. Her tone is fittingly earnest; faintly, breathlessly shy. And Meloy is Meloy -- love him or hate him for it.

So I suppose you could say I'm sold on it now. I listen to the same little cluster of songs every morning. It's hard to pick favorites when they all have their own flavor, but there are a few I really enjoy. "Isn't it a Lovely Night?" is lovely indeed, William and Margaret's tender anthem to the first blush of love. If it wasn't so appropriate for the mood Meloy is trying to build, it'd be almost unforgivably twee ("And wasn't it a lovely breeze/ that swept the leaves of arbor eaves/ and bent to brush our blushing knees?"). But it's thoroughly enjoyable, nonetheless. On the other side of the spectrum are "Annan Water," which races along steady and strong, and "The Rake's Song," a delightfully irreverent confessional. And I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention "The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing" or "Margaret in Captivity."

Undoubtedly, though, the real star of the album is "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)." A lot of the titles on The Hazards of Love are simple and sweet as meadow grass, and this one is no exception. Yet there's heartbreak here too -- heartbreak that, as expected as it should be, still stings. In true storybook fashion, William and Margaret accept their tragic fate. They share one final, solemn kiss. "These hazards of love/ never more will trouble us," they sing as the waves rush over their heads. And maybe not. Perhaps this is the end for them. But I'm ready for another listen.