New Decemberist Album Track Listing; Free MP3 of First Single

On March 24, 2009, The Decemberists will release their newest studio album, The Hazards of Love.

The Hazards Of Love tells the story of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake. Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while My Morning Jacket's Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock and the Spinanes' Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles.

"There's an odd bond between the music of the British folk revival and classic metal," says Decemberists' founder Colin Meloy. "A natural connection between, like, Fairport Convention and Black Sabbath - of course, Sandy Denny from Fairport even sang with Led Zeppelin on 'The Battle of Evermore.' I think there's a shared sense of narrative and ambiance, of moving beyond the first person in your writing. And I thought it would be interesting to mess around with that."

The band has made "The Rake's Song" available as a free download on their Web site: www.decemberists.com

According to the band's press release, the band will, "tour this spring, playing The Hazards Of Love straight through for the show's first half and older material for the remainder." Tour dates have yet to be announced.

The track listing for The Hazards Of Love is as follows:

1. Prelude
2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
3. A Bower Scene
4. Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
5. The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
6. The Queen's Approach
7. Isn't it a Lovely Night?
8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
9. 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)