Long-time Lefort-faves The Decemberists are back with new song Severed from their impending new album I’ll Be Your Girl to be released on March 16th on Capitol Records. Just as exciting, the band announced that they will be touring and playing the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, their first ever visit to these environs. You can check out their tour dates and get tickets HERE.

According to the band’s press release, the band sought to mix it up and reach for something beyond their (phenomenal) standard textures on I’ll Be Your Girl:

“We recorded the eleven-ish songs during the early fall in Portland, Oregon, with noted producer and ailurophile John Congleton. You perhaps may be familiar with some of the work he’s done with such bands as St. Vincent, Lana del Rey, Wye Oak, Angel Olsen, Swans — oh, everybody, really. He’s a bit of a goer, production-wise. The songs tend to the darker, more absurdist side of things —  I mean, how can you blame us — and features a lot of nice vintage synth work by Jenny and Chris, some heavy drumming from Mr. Moen and, of course, the sort of baroque bass work you’ve come to expect from the former Mr. Lincoln High, Nate Query. All in all, everyone acquitted themselves quite nicely.”

Evidently, while working on the new material, the band discussed additional musical influences, such as Roxy Music and early glam music, and Meloy has described the album’s mood as “exuberant nihilism” to reflect these times.

Watch the Severed video below. The song is a sound update of The Decemberists’ musical motifs, with added analog-synth lead a la New Order or Depeche Mode, with autocratic, POTUS-inspired lyrics and heavenly harmonies. It’s a beauty that bodes incredibly well for the new album.

You can pre-order I’ll Be Your Girl HERE.  Severed’s lyrics are at bottom.

Severed:

“I alight like a whisper
I alight with the lights out
And it won’t take me long just to find you
And it won’t take me long just to find you

I’m allied to the winter
But don’t you get clever
Don’t you get clever
I’m allied to the landslide
Gonna leave you all severed
Gonna leave you all severed

I alone am the answer
I alone will make wrongs right
But in order to root out the cancer
It’s got to be kept from the sight

I’m allied to the winter
But don’t you get clever
Don’t you get clever
I’m allied to the landslide
Gonna leave you all severed
Gonna leave you all severed

I was born in a whiteout
Gonna smother you all till I choke you
Gonna smother you all till you kick out

I’m allied to the winter
But don’t you get clever
Don’t you get clever
I’m allied to the landslide
Gonna leave you all severed
Gonna leave you all severed”