HomeThe DecemberistsThe King Is Dead
The King Is Dead
Rock · 2011 · 10 tracks · 40m

The King Is Dead

A rustic pivot toward Americana and jangle pop. Stripped of theatrical prog-rock suites, these ten tracks breathe with harmonica, mandolin, and golden-hour warmth.

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It's the Decemberists if they traded their history books for a harmonica and a cabin in the woods.

A warm, grounded sense of peace that feels like coming home after a long journey.

The King Is Dead · vs · The Decemberists
Nature+2.0σ

The writing leans notably further into nature than the rest of the catalogue.

Tracklist · 10 Tracks · 40m
01
Don’t Carry It All
4:17
02
Calamity Song
3:50
03
Rise to Me
4:59
04
Rox in the Box
3:10
05
January Hymn
3:13
06
Down by the Water
3:42
07
All Arise!
3:09
08
June Hymn
3:58
09
This Is Why We Fight
5:30
10
Dear Avery
4:52
Moments Worth Waiting For
The bright, REM-indebted jangle of Peter Buck's 12-string guitar cutting through the rustic haze of Calamity Song.
Gillian Welch's high, lonesome harmony locking perfectly with Colin Meloy's lead on the chorus of Down by the Water.
The transition from the wintry, sparse January Hymn to the lush, blooming warmth of June Hymn later in the tracklist.
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