With opulent folk pop, John Darnielle tells the story of a woman on the run. On a yellow Kawasaki.
It is said that the second album is the most difficult. But what about the 22nd? John Darnielle and his life’s work, the Mountain Goats, which grew from a lo-fi act to an extensive band, are expanding their seemingly endless back catalog with this new, 22nd and consistently opulent album. It’s hard to believe, but even now the band still manages to add something to their means of expression.
Darnielle cites Jim Steinman as an influence and the album as a “rock opera,” which is of course nonsense and possibly ironic. The band leader, who writes bizarre novels in addition to smooth songs, has cast the twelve pieces into a narrative structure in order to convey to us the tragic story of the fleeing Jenny: A storytelling that was already featured on the 2002 album ALL HAIL WEST TEXAS with the song “Jenny” started, although Darnielle was still producing on a cassette deck in her bedroom.
Today he leaves it to Trina Shoemaker (Queens of the Stone Age, Sheryl Crow), who conjured up orchestral folk-pop with brass, strings and feel-good background vocals for him. Still relevant after 22 albums, you have to do that first.
Author: Michael Prenner