The beginning of ‘Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1’, opener to Transcendental Youth, sounds unnervingly like the Scissor Sisters’ ‘Take Your Mama’. The gut wrenches. Is this the end? After 18 years and 14 albums, have John Darnielle and his band of not-so-merry-men gone chart-friendly? No, thank gawd, no; a mere ten seconds later, the listener is whisked back to familiarly Mountain-ous terrain. Any fears of the contrary are almost immediately silenced by insights into lead singer Darnielle’s stereotypically obstinate outlook: ‘I hide out in my corner/Because I like my corner’.
Much of The Mountain Goats’ beauty has always stemmed from Darnielle’s lyricism, which, although plainly-sung and succinct is firmly rooted in the conceptual. Tropes of depression, paranoia, rebirth and affirmation find themselves played out through vignettes inhabited by Darnielle’s usual suspects, outcasts, junkies and have-nots – but the poetry here finds itself in more upbeat territory, and bolstered by a stronger emphasis on musicality than has been present in earlier albums. The music adds clout and dynamism to its lyrics, rather than merely acting as a backdrop. Perhaps most notable is the introduction of a horn section, arranged by avant-garde composer Matthew E. White, which helps to connect song and narrative voice and reinforce what few kernels of hope there are to be found in Darnielle’s bleak imagery.
The current single and album highlight ‘Cry for Judas’, sees the added horn section hinting at Neutral Milk Hotel’s seminal In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – which can surely only ever be a Good Thing. In short, The Mountain Goats have done it again. Listen to this album, and be safe in the knowledge that, at this rate, there’ll be more soon.
FOUR STARS
