The Decemberists
Jan 18, 2015

The Decemberists returns with their seventh studio album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. Produced by the band and long-time collaborator Tucker Martine it is The Decemberists' first full-length studio album since 2011's The King Is Dead, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and contained the Grammy-nominated single "Down By The Water."
Since there were no time constraints, the band approached this album a bit differently this time around. As frontman Colin Malloy told All Access in a recent 10 questions, "We chose to work without any kind of deadline looming since we had the option. There was no thought of releasing anything or doing shows. We worked in a vacuum and let the songs come as they did. There's something very freeing about working on music with absolutely no agenda, and just letting the songs become themselves."
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is The Decemberists' most varied and dynamic work, both musically and emotionally. "Make You Better" is already top five at Triple A, but several other songs deserve your attention, including "Lake Song," "Calvary Captain," "Philomena," "Till The Water Is All Gone, "The Wrong Year" and the powerful "12/17/12."
Portland, OR will proclaim the album release date (1/20) as "The Decemberists Day" with a celebration at City Hall. The band will perform on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" the week of release.
After some dates in Europe and the U.K., the band begins touring North America. Dates confirmed so far include:
- 3/21 Keller Auditorium, Portland, OR
- 3/24 Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis
- 3/25 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee
- 3/27 Chicago Theatre, Chicago
- 3/28 Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
- 3/30 Massey Hall, Toronto
- 3/31 Benedum Center, Pittsburgh
- 4/01 University of Buffalo - The Center for the Arts, Buffalo
- 4/03-04 House Of Blues, Boston
- 4/06 Beacon Theatre, New York
- 4/07 Academy of Music, Philadelphia
- 4/09 The Fillmore, Charlotte
- 4/10-11 Tabernacle, Atlanta
- 4/12 Rhythm N' Blooms Festival, Knoxville
- 4/13 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
- 5/07 Governor's Ball, New York
To keep up with the band, visit www.thedecemberists.com