The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come (4AD 2009)

Posted by admin on Oct 20, 2009 in Arts & Culture | 0 comments

If you were to walk into your local record store and pick up a copy of the new Mountain Goats album, you might think John Darnielle had seen the light and found Jesus. Despite every song title on his new album being a Bible verse, this is not a Christian record. Darnielle uses the Bible as reference for songs that explore loss, theology and everything in between. I had trouble believing anybody could write a concept album based on an amalgamation of verses in the Bible and succeed; Darnielle not only succeeds, he triumphs.

In “Matthew 25:21”, Darnielle writes a touching acoustic ballad, about a close friend going through cancer treatment. Consistent with his previous fifteen studio albums, Darnielle’s lyrics are sharp and brilliant: “They hook you up/to a fentanyl drip/to mitigate/the pain a little bit. I’m an eighteen-wheeler headed down the interstate/And my breaks are going to give/And I won’t know till it’s too late/Tires screaming when I lose control/Try not to hurt too many people when I roll.” His unique vocals are confident and strong. The guitars drift from upbeat to sorrowful, the band sounds great throughout and Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett conducts the string arrangements. This is folk music at its finest.

The Life of the World to Come is distinctly different in sound to Darnielle’s last full length, Heretic Pride. Whereas Heretic Pride had a fuller band sound, The Life… takes a step back on all but a few tracks. This leaves Darnielle’s voice, piano and guitar to lead you through the album.

On his website, Darnielle explains the album is “not some heavy-narrative-distance deal and it’s not a screed. It’s twelve new songs: twelve hard lessons the Bible taught me, kind of.” If you’re a newcomer to the Mountain Goats, The Life of the World to Come is a great place to start. This is their sixteenth studio album, so if you’re a fan, clear some space on your iPhone.