15 Greatest Rock Concept Albums From The Last 15 Years

11. The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love

Though not as universally adored as the album that precedes it, (the near-perfect The Crane Wife), Hazards of Love features some of the best arrangements the band has ever put forth. The story is a kooky tale of romance, where a woman falls in love with a shape-shifting woodsman while outside interferences (the forest dweller's mother and a hell-raiser named Rake) try to stop them from continuing their relationship. It's...weird. But as with anything Colin Meloy touches, it's oddly beautiful and heartbreaking in the same breath. It's the most musically ambitious album the band had released at the time, incorporating violins and cellos and electric guitars (oh my!) with great fervor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD1Aj7EYDog