Pitchfork

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

The Hazards of Love (UPDATE: There is indeed a "the" in the title), the forthcoming rock opera from the fliers of fancy in the Decemberists, is due March 24 from Capitol, according to Billboard.com (and confirmed by Capitol). Sporting 17 tracks with silly titles like "Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)" and "Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)", the album is probably pretty ridic even by Decemberists standards.

Apart from previously reported guests Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, Billboard.com notes that the disc is boosted by appearances from My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock, and Rebecca Gates of the Spinanes. (UPDATE: Apparently Worden and Stark sing the parts of specific characters on the album!) The disc follows 2006's The Crane Wife LP and the band's recent string of singles under the Always the Bridesmaid umbrella.

Presumably because they have yet to secure an adequately large fog machine and foam forest backdrop, the Decemberists currently have no tourdates scheduled. But multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk appears on Target Heart, the forthcoming EP from Blue Giant, while John Moen once again lends his drums to the next one from Bob Pollard's Boston Spaceships.


Hazards of Love:

01 Prelude
02 The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
03 A Bower Scene
04 Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
05 The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
06 The Queen's Approach
07 Isn't It a Lovely Night?
08 The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
09 An Interlude
10 The Rake's Song
11 The Abduction of Margaret
12 The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing
13 Annan Water
14 Margaret in Captivity
15 The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
16 The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
17 The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)