The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come

      I was introduced to The Mountain Goats via a mix CD my brother Jeremy gave me. He had made the CD in Cegep and it contained all of the songs by The Mountain Goats that he had downloaded at the time. For years it was the only music I had by them. When I got it I fell in love with them for a time, but like with most bands, I moved on to others, keeping that burnt CD in one of my many cases, rarely bringing it out for a listen. I hadn't thought about The Mountain Goats for awhile and then over a month ago my girlfriend's father bought me their new album, The Life of the World to Come, as a Christmas present. The first time I listened to this album was in the car with my girlfriend and a few of her friends going to and from a bar. A few of the songs struck me as a massive departure from The Mountain Goats I used to know. Other songs were hard to hear over the chatter in the car, which gave me hope that upon further listening I'd hear the same type of subdued and beautiful acoustic songs I was accustomed to hearing from them.

      I was partially correct. There's lots of acoustic guitar on this album but it acts as a backbone to the lush instrumentation that the band's only constant member, John Darnielle, has incorporated into their sound. These new songs have beautiful string arrangements, pounding and eerie drum accompaniments and where, in the old songs, you would've found just John singing over an acoustic guitar, he has switched it for a piano. The most effective instrument used by Darnielle is his voice. He practically whispers over the quieter songs on the album and the ragers show us a loud and empassioned man with a message.

      My favorite thing about The Mountain Goats has always been John's beautiful lyrics. He is a wonderful storyteller and that striking talent is all over this album. All of the songs on this album are named after bible verses and like most bible stories, some of these songs are about people undertaking trials and tribulations, all the while trying to maintain faith and moral purity. Others are about people searching for a new beginning and praying for the strength to find it. The songs that are strongest lyrically are character pieces told in the first person. Each of them are like prayers coming from the souls of these imaginary people. John's ability to make these people sound real and their prayer for redemption sound sincere comes to a climax in the final track, “ Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace.” This song tells the story of a drug addict on the run after commiting a kidnapping. There is no redemption in these lyrics, which is fitting as the bible verse it is named after contains none either. It is a song about an irredeemable sinner running from what he has done. He can't escape the dark clouds above him and when he pulls the car over to do some unnamed drug, it only brings him higher and closer to them.

      This album shows The Mountain Goats doing what they do best, telling stories about realistic people (some good, some bad and some doing the best they can) accompanied by equally beautiful music, the density of which perfectly matches the lyrical depth of the songs. I have fallen in love with this band once again and hope I don't neglect them as long as I did last time.