The Hazards of Love

2009 release from the acclaimed U.S. Alternative Pop outfit. The album began when band leader Colin Meloy, long fascinated by the British Folk revival of the 1960s, found a copy of revered vocalist Anne Briggs's 1966 EP, titled The Hazards of Love. Since there was no actual song with the album's title, he set out to write one, but was soon immersed in something much larger. The Hazards of Love tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake, who recounts with spine-tingling ease how he came "to be living so easy and free" in 'The Rake's Song'. Becky Stark and Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock, and Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles. 17 tracks.