The Word On...The King is Dead, The Decemberists

"A middle-of-the-road record, a pleasant, introspective stroll through the cottonwoods whose creaky comfort gets The Decemberists out of their comfort zone." consequenceofsound.net

"This album is accomplished and a great listen, but in losing their quirkiness and bold concepts they have also somewhat lost the one thing that set them apart from the crowd." drownedinsound.com

"A tepid, lifeless album devoid of everything that we've come to expect from them in this part of their career, leaving only the most traditional aspects of their sound intact." sputnikmusic.com

"It is, simply, a thing of beauty." bbc.co.uk/music