The Mountain Goats

a gorgeous album that sees the Mountain Goats expand themselves musically, in startling & exciting ways.

Here is a jazz chord progression over brushed cymbals. Here is a track that spirals out from verse & chorus into a slow, hazy piano solo. Here are pounding drums straight from a metal record. And here, as always, are songs like no one else can write them. Like no one else does write them. It is, as any fan of the band will expect, a heartbreaking & heartreviving album about imperfect people described perfectly, with melodies that will stay with you for days. "daring, touching on meditative rock, Steely Dan-suggestive jazz tones ("Fire Editorial"), indie pop ("The Legend of Chavo Guerrero") &, on "Unmasked," tragic balladry. "Stabbed to Death Outside San Juan" is a memorable acoustic death march about a dressing room altercation...Darnielle & his band exude confidence & a sense of purpose" - los angeles times.