Nowadays in a world where the well of lyrical finesse has run dry with repetitive pop anthems and mindless verses (Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” anyone?) it’s pleasant to hear a band compose songs with words and phrases that an English professor, or anyone who respects the process of mindful songwriting would appreciate.
This is where The Mountain Goats step in, a folk band whose focus on storytelling’s simple, yet effective companionship with music creates a winning formula on their latest, All Eternals Deck. The album succeeds as a poetic examination of human perseverance over the dark emotions that attempt to mar everyday life such as guilt, oppression and relentless change.
The Mountain Goats began solely with singer John Darnielle essentially speaking his poetry over a guitar in the early ’90s to a tape recorder in his home. Through the years, the band and sound has evolved and now consists of Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster, who provide further instrumentals alongside Darnielle.
Where All Eternals Deck soars is in its lyrical grace. Darnielle, already having established himself as a first-rate songwriter in his previous albums, returns with his signature method of slowly divulging details of his stories over simple chords and music, as to avoid distracting the listener from his goal of letting his messages shine through.
And these messages are indeed wrought with emotion and inspiration to drive the human spirit. In “High Hawk Season,” Darnielle bellows, “rise if you’re sleeping, stay awake/ we are young supernovas and the heat’s about to break,” as if he is trying to conjure a revolution for those who are jaded by politics, society, or just the internal problems that come with being human. That’s the beauty of some of these songs – they can be applied to many different circumstances making them accessible to a wide audience.
“Never Quite Free” is another song written about overcoming a negative state and achieving a balance. Although it may seem corny and preachy at times, Darnielle’s sincere voice is hard not to believe when he advises, “And you’ll sleep better when you think you’ve stepped back from the brink/ And found some peace inside yourself; lay down your heavy load.”
Although many of these songs are uplifting in a conventional way, Darnielle also takes several of his songs in a unique direction, using movie stars as inspiration. In his songs, “The Autopsy Garland,” “For Charles Bronson,” and “Liza Forever Minnelli,” Darnielle recounts the lives of Judy Garland, Charles Bronson and Liza Minnelli, demonstrating his remarkable ability to get inside their heads and perhaps reveal what they were feeling on the cusp of their stardom as well as their decline.
Although Darnielle’s lyrics are ample enough to please many, some may be discontented with the lack of diversity in melody and musicianship. His vocal style takes getting used to, but Darnielle realizes with his method of singing a line and allowing it to be followed with a long pause of music for it to sink in, provides the listener with a more rewarding and thorough experience with his songs. However, the strings in “Age of Kings” as well as the mellow chorus backed, “High Hawk Season,” offer the diversity on an otherwise sometimes over-simplified sound palette of guitars and strings.
Yet The Mountain Goats are not concerned with striking instrumentals and melodies but rather with what makes folk artists who they are: The lyrics and the stories that delve into the heart of experiences and their impacts. With that feat, All Eternals Deck succeeds.
3 out of 5 stars
