#88 the Decemberists - "Make You Better"

Saying someone is a great songwriter can be a lofty tag. Songwriting styles can vary greatly and just as someone can be a great songwriter writing catch pop songs about being “Happy” or “Fancy” or what have you, you can be a great songwriter by writing songs that tell a story or happiness, fanciness, or in Colin Meloy’s case, bitter sadness at times.

The Decemberists frontman is revered in many circles (and should be many more) as one of today’s best songwriters.  He can be brash, honest and open or he can be aloof, sarcastic and mean or he can be downright sad and on rare occasions uplifting and hopeful. Whatever the context though, Meloy never disappoints and always has you thinking about your own life as you listen to his lyrics over his folky melodies.

The Decemberists new album “What A Terrible World. What A Beautiful World” is due out in 2015 so be prepared for many songs next year. This is what Colin Meloy said about his new record:

“The first songs were highly personal, a change from the strong narrative thrust that has characterized much of The Decemberists’ work. “Having a family, having kids, having this career, getting older – all of these things have made me look more inward,” says Meloy.

These reflections come to the foreground in “12/17/12,” a song he wrote after watching President Obama address the nation following the Newtown school shootings. “I was hit by a sense of helplessness, but also the message of ’Hold your family close,’” recalls Meloy. This bewildering, conflicted feeling came out in a phrase near the end of the song – “what a terrible world, what a beautiful world”—that gave the album its title.”