If you’re looking for new music to listen to, a good album to start with is “What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.” This album was released earlier this year by ‘The Decemberists.’  After not releasing any music since 2011, the indie folk rock band decided they wanted to come back with a bang.

This album is extremely unique and has a sound that is signature to ‘The Decemberists.’ The songs on the album are quite slow and calming. The soothing effect of their songs makes it easy for the listener to lose themselves within the music.

With just a glance at one of the 14 song titles, the listener is instantly pulled in with a sense of curiosity. Some of the intriguing titles include,“Mistral,” “12/17/12” and “The Singer addresses his Audience.” None of the titles give away too much about the song, which then makes people curious and want to find out what they’re really about. Even if the band didn’t intentionally make the titles that mysterious, it definitely worked out in their favor.

The very first thing the listener will experience with this album is the soft melodies playing behind the lyrics. From the beginning of each song you can get stuck on the catchy beats. I caught myself tapping to these beats on my desk. Since each and every song has its own distinct sound, none of the songs sound similar and this makes this album unique and different.

After the initial catch of the beat, the listener will then encounter the lyrics. Some people may not understand what they mean, but they can create and interpret the meaning themselves. Their lyrics often focus on historical incidents and/or folklore, and even though that may sound boring, their songs are far from it. Just like the titles, the actual words being sung also make the listener think.

All in all, the album is quite different but lovely. The combination of the slow ballads and beautiful lyrics really make it a strong album. Even if they don’t sound like the typical band you would listen to, this might change your mind after listening to this specific album. Though, some may say ‘The Decemberists’ past albums weren’t as strong, they definitely proved the critics wrong with this one.