Originally intended as a musical, “The Hazards of Love” turned instead into a huge theme album made up of 17 songs. With this in mind, I expected several short transition tracks — maybe a one-minute introduction, a thirty-second interlude, and so on — to keep the overall length in check. Despite only a brief transition and a minute-thirty interlude, however, The Decemberists managed to keep the album under an hour.
I have a certain weakness for transitions, and the first couple songs assured me that the album would not fail me in this respect. The story of two lovers, Margaret (sung by Becky Stark) and William (sung by Colin Meloy, The Decemberists’ front man), struggling to make their love true, “The Hazards of Love” takes listeners on a journey that flows smoothly from one scene to the next. Elements of a musical soundtrack are evident, ranging from the dialogue in “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid” to the introduction of the villain in “The Rake’s Song.” The beautiful soprano in “Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)” complements Meloy exceptionally well, painting a vivid scene of the two lovers longing for each other clearly in the listener’s head.
The album tells a complicated story that takes more that just a cursory listen to follow. In it, Margaret and William are forced to overcome problems in order to be united in love. William, a forest dweller, faces the opposition of the Forest Queen (sung by Shara Worden) and must also rescue Margaret from the evil Rake who kidnaps her. William seeks passage across Annan Water, asking for calm seas in exchange for his own life after he rescues his love. He rescues Margaret with the help of the Rake’s dead children, who seek vengeance against their father. In the return, Annan Water makes good on the deal and sinks William’s boat. Margaret, preferring to die with her love rather than watch him die alone, stays with William. The last song, “The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned),” tells of the metaphorical marriage of “a forest’s son, a river’s daughter” in death. The mellow and peaceful song is the perfect finale to the album, ending with the repeated lines “The hazards of love / Never more will trouble us.”
The various songs in the album reflect a wide range of styles for The Decemberists. “A Bower Scene” uses power chords and has a much rockier feel than the standard “Decemberist” fare. The four “Hazards of Love” songs reflect a more familiar sound, and drums dominate whenever the Forest Queen takes the stage. The songs, as varied as they may be, still come together remarkably well, combining to create a well-made theme album. Traditional Decemberists fans might find the album a departure from the traditional musical style they would expect from the band, but after accepting this fact, listeners will find an album that features enjoyable songs in the solid style of a staged musical soundtrack.