The Decemberists have always been storytellers, weaving tales of star-crossed lovers, wayward sailors, and murder ballads for nearly two decades. But on I'll Be Your Girl, the band trades in its trademark folk-rock for something decidedly more electric—and just a bit cheeky. “We got to pretend to be New Order and T. Rex for a little while,” laughs Colin Meloy, the band’s frontman and chief wordsmith. “Who doesn’t want to put on different outfits now and then?”
Released just as the world continues its collective unraveling, the album packs a surprising punch of synth-heavy whimsy and biting social commentary. From the post-election anthem “Everything Is Awful” to the tender yet thought-provoking title track, Meloy and company show they’re still pushing boundaries—even 20 years in. “I think we’d gotten a little too comfortable,” he admits. “This time around, we wanted to expand the boundaries, so we changed up the studio, the producer, and the approach. It wasn’t about doing something different for the sake of it—it was about keeping it real.”
That authenticity shines through on tracks like “I’ll Be Your Girl,” which flips rock’s inherently masculine narrative on its head. “There’s something gendered and hyper-masculine about rock and roll,” Meloy says. “Singing ‘I’ll be your girl’ as a man—it challenges that dynamic. Especially now, when we’re finally having real conversations about gender and fluidity, I thought it was an interesting twist.”
While the album dips into playful synth-pop territory, its themes are heavier than ever. The aftermath of the 2016 election looms large, especially on “Everything Is Awful.” But rather than wallow in despair, Meloy sees the track as a rallying cry. “Right after the election, I felt this deep depression,” he recalls. “But then, I found so many others who felt the same. There’s strength in realizing we’re not alone in this chaos. It’s what fueled movements like the Women’s March and March for Our Lives. That’s what the song is really about—finding community in the awful.”
Despite its darker undercurrents, I’ll Be Your Girl is far from a downer. Tracks like “Sucker’s Prayer” and “Severed” revel in the freedom of new sonic landscapes, while still retaining the band’s signature charm. “We’re not trying to rebrand as a synth-heavy group,” Meloy says. “It’s just one more chapter in the book of The Decemberists. And if we’re lucky, it’s a book that keeps getting better.”
As the band gears up for their tour, Meloy reflects on their ever-evolving journey. “We’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and the fact that we’re still here, still challenging ourselves—it’s kind of wild,” he says. “But at the end of the day, we’re just trying to make music we believe in. And maybe give people a little something to hold onto in the process.”
And then check out a couple of other times Kyle and Colin have hung out.
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