Less than nine months after the release of their sixth studio album, “The King Is Dead,” the Decemberists are back with a more dynamic sound on their follow-up EP, “Long Live The King.”
The new release is created from songs that didn’t make the cut for the band’s previous release, “The King Is Dead,” but that doesn’t mean the songs are throwaways. The six-track album opens with “E.Watson,” a narrative about an evil late-19th century sugar plantation owner and features the harmonizing croon of lead singer Colin Meloy. With the help of female vocalists Laura Veirs and Annalsa Tornfelt the drama of the story unfolds with their voices soaring over the acoustic dip of a guitar.
The second track of the album, “Foregone,” comes rolling in with a gentle wave-like strumming and the occasional appearance of a metal guitar. With a short running time, “Foregone” slips away after only a few minutes and carries Meloy’s country-folk bray into the next few songs.
From the acoustic compositions to the energetic folk tunes, the Decemberist’s latest EP may create its own growing glory.