The Decemberists Eye Big Year

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World is the name of the seventh studio album from Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query and John Moen, and is the group’s first full-length studio effort since 2011’s The King Is Dead.  Landing in U.s. stores Jan. 20 on Capitol Records, the disc was produced by the band plus long-time collaborator Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Neko Case).

Although the long player won’t be released for a couple of months, fans who pre-order the album through TheDecemberists.com or from iTunes will receive the disc’s first single, “Make You Better,” released this week. Although U.S. dates have not yet been announced, fans pre-ordering the album will also receive a code for an exclusive ticket pre-sale.

According to Meloy, the making of What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World was a spontaneous undertaking.

“Typically we book four or five weeks in the studio and bang out the whole record,” Meloy said.  “This time, we started by just booking three days, and didn’t know what we would record.  There was no direction or focus; we wanted to just see what would come out.  We recorded ‘Lake Song’ on the first day, live, and then two more songs in those three days.  And the spirit of that session informed everything that came after.”

In describing the fuller and richer sound of What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, The Decemberists have likened the disc to Leonard Cohen’s Phil Spector-produced 1977 LP, Death Of A Ladies’ Man.

At this time the band has locked down a European tour beginning in Ireland in February. Here’s the plan so far:

Feb. 11 – Dublin, Ireland, Vicar Street
Feb. 13 – Glasgow, Scotland, O2 Academy Glasgow
Feb. 14 – Leeds, England, O2 Academy Leeds
Feb. 16 – Bristol, England, O2 Academy Bristol
Feb. 17 – Manchester, England, Manchester Academy
Feb. 18 – Birmingham, England, The Institute
Feb. 20 – Brighton, England, Brighton Dome
Feb. 21 – London, England, O2 Academy Brixton
Feb. 23 – Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paradiso
Feb. 24 – Brussels, Belgium, Ancienne Belgique
Feb. 25 – Nijmegen, Netherlands, Doornroosje
Feb. 26 – Berlin, Germany, Astra
Feb. 28 – Zurich, Switzerland, Kaufleutensaal
March 1 – Milan, Italy, Magazzini Generali 

Tickets go on sale Nov. 7 at 9 a.m. local time.  Click here for more information.