As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again [Vinyl]

Following six years after 2018's politically charged and surprisingly synth-heavy I'll Be Your Girl, indie institution the Decemberists return with their ninth LP. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is a bit of a mouthful to say, and the record itself is the Portland group's lengthiest effort to date, a double album, in fact. In many ways, it plays like a musical overview of their career that's almost anthology-like as it jumps between smart, jangling indie pop (the James Mercer-assisted standout "Burial Ground"), dusty Americana ("Long White Veil"), U.K. folk-inspired balladry ("Don't Go to the Woods"), and vaudevillian pop satire ("America Made Me"). They've also reunited with longtime producer Tucker Martine after swapping him out with the more experimental John Congleton on their previous set. But, rather than a succinct return to form, As It Ever Was is quite dense, occasionally getting in its own way in trying to do a bit of everything. For that reason, it might not be the record that earns them scads of new listeners, but for longtime fans, there is a lot to love. ~ Timothy Monger