The Mountain Goats Set Sights on Religion with Newest Album

For years, John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats has been mentioning religion in conversation. Now, with the release of The Life of the World to Come, he is giving sermons to a willing congregation.

Both Darnielle and Peter Hughes have been touring and recording tirelessly since 1995. For Life, they are joined by Jon Wurster on drums. As a trio, the band's sound is simple but powerful. The Mountain Goats are one of the only bands that can get away with playing the most elementary parts while still remaining effective. Very few of the album's songs contain more than a guitar, bass, and drums. Many are more stripped down, leaving only vocals, accompanied by a piano. Darnielle was trained to play the piano as a child, and he has not seemed to improve much since then. His playing is fundamental - but earnest. Considering what the album is speaking about, being earnest is crucial. The instrumental dynamic of the album is interesting in that it never really has a breaking point - it is more of a slow burn. On past Mountain Goats albums, there has usually been at least one song that stuck out as Darnielle's spike of anger amidst a more introspective stream of consciousness. "See America Right" halfway through Tallahassee comes to mind. Life seems to be bigger than simply being pissed off at a girl or getting drunk; it appears as though Darnielle is tackling bigger issues.

The Mountain Goats have always been a very lyric-heavy band, and Life continues that pattern. There are twelve songs, each named after a bible verse. For listeners who are expecting a clear answer to their questions directly from Darnielle's mouth are going to be out of luck. Instead, we are asked to listen to the words and use them for ourselves however we see fit. This is probably how many people would describe their approach to scripture. There is a lot to think about, and Darnielle wastes no time. For example, on "Genesis 30:3," he sings as if he is trying desperately to keep up with his own tempo: "For several hours we lay there last ones of our kind/Harder days coming maybe I don't mind/Sounds kind of dumb when I say it but it's true/I would do anything for you." Still, the delivery is consistently beautiful from start to finish.

The Life of the World to Come is a bible study on tape. It is a personal application of scripture that anyone can relate to. And, for listeners that don't feel like pondering their relationship with God, it is simply a gorgeous album - one that fits nicely with the already extensive Mountain Goats discography.