For most bands, the average song runs for about four minutes-beginning, building and climaxing before coming back down for a neat conclusion-while the lyrics usually deal with love or relationships. The Decemberists, an indie-pop quintet with folk leanings from Portland, Ore. (and also headlined Brandeis' Spring Fest in 2009!) has never aligned itself with these traditional expectations for popular music. Since coming together in 2000, The Decemberists have established a reputation as a unique, eccentric outfit, with songs sometimes spanning over 10 minutes long and taking on unusual topics, from villainous rakes terrorizing narrators to cranes coming to life.Still, on The King is Dead, released Jan. 18 on Capitol Records, the band strikes a balance between its quirky and theatrical desires and making a listenable record that is more accessible to the audience. The opener, "Don't Carry It All," is a pleasing slice of Americana, complete with harmonica and complementing harmonies from lead signer Colin Meloy and singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. Meloy seems to reassure himself and his audience that there is a reason and a benefit to the simplicity of the tune, urging them to "let the yoke fall from our shoulders . don't carry it all." The "yoke" of which he speaks draws to mind the pomp and circumstance of The Decemberists' last record, The Hazards of Love, which was an over-the-top theatrical rock opera of sorts. On "Don't Carry It All," Meloy releases his band from the pressures of such complicated music, full of competing storylines, sounds and vocals. Instead, they drop these distractions to return to their roots in British folk and American indie-pop.

However, it's not as though The Decemberists have abandoned the dramatic, intellectual qualities characteristic of their recent records. Many of the songs still present the vivid, poetic imagery that The Decemberists are known for. On "Don't Carry It All," Meloy croons about a "wreath of trillium and ivy," conjuring an almost ethereal, dreamy connotation. Later, on "Rox in the Box," he sings, "on this gray-grounded mountain mine/of dirt you're made and to dirt you will return."

In addition to the obvious content differences between these two sets of lyrics, the overall sounds of the songs highlight a few of the differing aspects of the album's sound. "Rox In The Box," featuring an accordion and a yearning, country melody, contrasts with the harmonica and slightly bluesy feel of "Don't Carry It All." "January Hymn," the fifth track on the album, presents another side of the band-this time a folkie, hushed indie tune.

The varied influences playing on the different songs do not create a disjointed feel but differ just enough to keep the album interesting. Each is really rooted in a rootsy, emotive take on folk-pop. On past albums, particularly 2005's Picaresque and 2009's The Hazards of Love, The Decemberists presented a decidedly dark outlook. For example, "The Abduction of Margaret," the 11th track on Hazards, is an icy, foreboding story of the abduction of the album's protagonist. On "The Mariner's Revenge Song," from Picaresque, accordions flesh out Meloy's lyrics about a son's promise to avenge his mother's morally corrupt lover. Clearly, The Decemberists' past records have a dark and cloudy aura, with a few flashes of sunlight.

On The King is Dead, things look a bit brighter, breezier and easier. When Welch and Meloy sing about the impending arrival of summertime in "June Hymn," the dangers and evils present in earlier tunes seem a distant memory.

While critics often laud complicated, ambitious albums, The King is Dead has received a positive reception because of its naturalness. It is a showcase of the band's talents and roots, without the over-the-top distractions that can often detract and distract from their talents. It seems that after over a decade in the industry, The Decemberists have reached equilibrium between ambition and simplicity.