Ensuring that fans of slightly twee, lyrically rich story songs have access to the steady stream of whaling narratives and haunted protagonists they crave, the members of Portland-based indie rock group The Decemberists have announced that they’ll be releasing a new five-song EP later this year. Dropping on October 9, Florasongs will be assembled from unused tracks recorded during the sessions that produced the band’s seventh full album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, which came out earlier this year. (And landed on The A.V. Club’s list of the year’s best albums to date.)
To promote the new compilation, frontman Colin Meloy and his cohorts have released a new single, “Why Would I Now?” Unsurprisingly, the new song sounds of a piece with What A Terrible World, with the group forgoing its earlier stylistic flourishes in favor of country-tinged strumming. Meanwhile, Meloy’s distinctive voice appealingly warbles out declarations of never-ending love. You can see the EP’s album art, along with the full five-song track list, below.
Florasongs track list:
01. “Why Would I Now?”
02. “Riverswim”
03. “Fits & Starts”
04. “The Harrowed And The Haunted”
05. “Stateside”
[via Consequences Of Sound]