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Jan 27, 2010 Web Exclusive By By Aaron Passman

The Decemberists' 2009 album The Hazards of Love now has an animated album-length video companion, one that brings to mind those '60s and '70s rock 'n' roll films that were often watched with chemical enhancement.

It's somewhat predictable that a project like this would be attempted—pompous concept albums about wood nymphs and shape-shifters do lend themselves well to full-length animation treatment after all—but for any inherent ridiculousness, the whole thing works fairly well. It's not as inventive as its forbears—chiefly The Wall, but also The Song Remains the Same and Magical Mystery Tour, among others—but, as with the album-length video companion, ambitious conceptual rock operas have also gone out of fashion.

As on the record, there's a woodsy theme throughout the early proceedings, with leaves, roots, dirt and the like moving in time to the music and reflecting changes in tone and theme. Subsequent visual elements include constellations, woodland animals, geometric shapes, sinking ships and more.

For those looking for an old-fashioned "turn it up and tune out," you could do a lot worse (and, oddly, it seems like it might appeal to toddlers as well, despite the occasional song about infanticide). But for those less interested in chemical stimulation, this is something of a one-shot deal. Having seen the band perform the record in its entirety, I'm still convinced that they should've just done the whole thing as a live album, in which case this could have served as a companion DVD documenting the live show.

Still, maybe somebody will figure out a way to sync their next record up with The Wizard of Oz. Or, that having already been done, perhaps Metropolis. Or maybe The Corpse Bride. Hell, just give 'em a laser light show already. (www.decemberists.com)

Author rating: 6/10