Foregoing straightforwardness for esoteric storylines and obscure literary references are The Decemberists, indie-folk outfit from Portland, Oregon. Since formation in 2001, the group has carved itself a snug little niche relating sometimes grand, oftentimes tragic stories of colorful characters and lovers in peril.

Their latest effort, The Hazards of Love, fits nicely into the genre but represents a significant departure in delivery. For one, it is essentially an hour-long epic, more closely resembling the band's 2004 E.P. The Tain than anything else. With that in mind however, The Hazards of Love is decidedly not shuffle-friendly and completely convinced of own importance. Tacky vocal dialogue and an intermittent leitmotif remind the listener that strict attention is required. Expect a good 45 seconds before the building introduction track "Prelude" even fades in.

Musically, the band has embraced a more guitar-heavy sound over the folk-centric sensibilities established in earlier releases. Many tracks echo the funkier, dramatically fuller experimentation explored in the previous album, 2006's The Crane Wife. Highlights include "The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid," a violently wandering expression of yearning and desperation, atmospheric duet, "Isn't It a Lovely Night?" and a solid finale-suite.

Newcomers Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark add interesting flavors to the mix. Worden's deep, emotive vibrato and killer, you'll-regret-introducing-me-to-your-mom tone counter front man Colin Meloy's earnest, though sometimes grating register.

There is a story buried in there, something about a woman named Margaret and her various entanglements with a man named William, a shape-shifting rake and a queen seemingly pulling the strings. I need not recommend anyone dig deeper into this narrative as the only ones with the desire to do so already have, considering the fan base (myself included) that eats this stuff up.