An absolutely epic piece of work from Colin Meloy. While not quite in the same vein as other Decemberists albums it tells such a fantastic story that I cannot stop listening to it. The presence of My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden singing the part of the forest queen adds something simply amazing. Her contributions send shivers down my spine. Fair warning however, this album is best enjoyed all the way through.… Expand

Best concept album I've ever heard.

If it was possible to give this album an 11, I would have. By far the best album of the '00s.

Beautifully cohesive concept album. A great listen, but one MUST have ONE HOUR to devote to the ENTIRE thing. Well worth the effort.

A work of sheet insane genius. I'm as gob-smacked on the 100th listen as the 1st -- even more so. This is a truly brilliant creation of fine art and good ol' rock n roll.

Brilliant album a real experience and the more you listen the better it gets.

Already one of the best story tellers in music, Colin Meloy and company have painted a vivid, imaginative tale that I cannot stop listening to. I would love to see this as a play.

This is the album of the year. An astonishing achievement.

Excellent!

although the songs run on from one to the other, which is something that annoys me to no end, this album is stand and notice time. I have yet to listen to any of there other efforts, but if this is any indication of the quality so far, they are probably one of my top ten bands for the decade. I have listened to this album about 6 times through so far, and have been only more and more impressed and entertained. They have vision. They an authentically origianal band making music the way it should always be. The album is top notch. There are absolutely no loose ends, and everything works to a tee. There are no throw away songs here. It's a delight from start to finish. In fact, I would suggest that you listen to the album from start to finish. One song wont be enough.… Expand

A friend lent me this-Cannot stop playing- Slight Pretentious?Maybe. A Prog Folk Rock Opera in Best 70'S Mode-Gloriously So Methinks My Lord! An Imaginative & Captivating Record!!

The bands best album so far. Wonderful visions evoked by the wild lyrics and a cohesive album of brilliant tunes.

This is easily one of the best releases of 2009, and a valiant attempt from The Decemberists to move to new ground.

Absolutely brilliant.

You can listen to the album 10 times and catch something different each time, its very intriguing to enjoy the songs musically, but to have to piece them together lyrically at the same time. Its almost homework, but its fun.

C'mon. listen to this... it's easily a '9'. 'The Crane Wife' was great, this is a masterpiece on par with Quadrophenia or the wildly underrated Honeydogs' album '10,000 Years' and it even has some mixtape stuff. It's funny that Merryweather Post Pavillion has been touted as a competitor to Kid A as album of the decade, and then a month later an LP comes out that may be better. I love the Animal Collective album, but personally, I love this more.… Expand

Grows on you. Doesn't dissapoint.

A brilliant piece of theatrical songsmithing akin to the likes of Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" and The Who's "Tommy".

Another great piece of work by meloy and company. probably my favorite decemberists album to date.

Absolutely great album. No individual song can stand on its own but as a whole it is a masterpiece. Telling an elaborate story of forsaken love and tragedy. With Colin's eye for words and chilling vocals by guest singers the story unfolds. Best listened to with the lyrics page on your lap and your headphones up to 10.

Yes it is bonkers and proggy but uterly brilliant tunes.

Can't see what the critics' problem is! Great performances, great production and great tunes.

I am loving the hell out of this album so far. There is so much going on, themes that thread throughout the album. And very dynamic - it will shift gears from a soft acoustic melody to driving drums and guitars, then snap right back. The guest female vocals are also great. Won't Want for Love is a great track, The Queen's Rebuke is the hardest I've heard the Decemberists play and they sound amazing. I can already tell that this will be one of my favorite albums for years.… Expand

I will just start by saying that those who say that this "Isn't a decemberists album" are completely and utterly wrong... besides the fact that it's on the cover. The decemberists have been known to try new sounds, riffs, melodies and other means to match Colin Meloy's ambitons. The Hazards of Love is as close to a "Rock Opera" as we're are going to get now-a-days, and for that, i humbly applaude Colin for taking a risk and creating a fresh experience in these modern times. Now, i have to say that i am a HUGE decemberists fan, so i may be a bit biased in my review. However, being a fan, i can say that this album is not for everyone. It's very complex, emotionally driven, and one can't get singles from it... easily... The album is, However, very cohesive and succeeds in building and releasing in moments to create a full fledged story element, climax and all. If you are going to listen to this album, do it in one sitting... or on the car ride to and from work. It takes about an hour. I won't guarantee that all will like it, but if you've ever liked the decemberists and understand their lore and style...then enjoy. Listen to "The Tain" if you want a similar experience by the same band... consider it the "short film" to the "feature length."… Expand

I have not heard The Decemberists' other albums. I bought this one from having heard the Rake's soliloquy on NPR just before the album released. The story, presentation, flavor, music, and gestalt of this album is really wonderful. This album is not for someone who desires a "hip three-minute ditty," to quote John Popper. Instead, The Hazards of Love asks a lot of its listeners, in that an appreciation of the content is discovered slowly though an accumulation of context. The first listen was casual, and provided very few "hook" experiences. I wasn't sure I liked The Decemberists. The second listen yielded a bit more fruit, as the awareness of a cohesive story arc took off. The third listen helped me notice thematic threads attributable to characters I was only beginning to reckon. The many listens since then have continually sharpened my awareness and appreciation of this work, and I am now fully open to seeing what else The Decemberists have waiting for me in their catalog. I may like their other works better or worse, but, regardless, on its own merits The Hazards of Love is exceptional, and the professional reviewers awarding it 30s and 40s should be wary of their job qualifications.… Expand