Thursday, January 19, 2012

ALL ETERNALS DECK - The Mountain Goats (2011)

For the uninitiated, The Mountain Goats are primarily the recording vehicle of one John Darnielle, one of  the most prolific and consistent singer-songwriter's indie has produced over the last twenty years, which is about how long he has been at it.

A tremendously gifted lyricist, the words are always front and center with his material, and though the quality of Darnielle's nasally, Mr. Peepers voice leaves something to be desired, his vocal delivery is as good as it gets.

All Eternals Deck is the fourteenth Mountian Goats release since 1995, and Darnielle's first on Superchunk label Merge.

01/19/2012 First Listen Impressions: Just another instantly listenable, likable collection of immaculately arranged Mountain Goat songs, with a near identical overall feel, flow and tone to '08s Heretic Pride, though I sense I may end up liking this record a little better. Die hard fans should be more than please, but newcomers to the Mountain Goats...given how samey the band sounds album to album...are strongly urged to start with Darnielle's greatest work, the small-scaled but at times overwhelmingly powerful The Sunset Tree, possibly the finest and most devastating singer-songwriter release of the last decade. I'll start addressing individual tracks after my second listen...but For Charles Bronson was the clear standout to me this first go round.

Projected Status: Solid Recommend.

Cherry Pickers Best Bets after one listen: Damn These Vampires, Age Of Kings, For Charles Bronson, Never Quite Free.

Here's the official video for the album's hardest rocking track, Estate Sale Sign.



Component Breakdown after on listen:
1. Damn These Vampires - 8 or 9
2. Birth Of Serpents - 7 or 8
3. Estate Sale Sign - 7
4. Age Of Kings - 7 or 8
5. The Autopsy Garland - ?
6. Beautiful Gas Mask - ?
7. High Hawk Season - 7 or 8
8. Prowl Great Cain - ?
9. Sourdoire Valley Song - ?
10. Outer Scorpion Squadron - ?
11. For Charles Bronson - 9
12. Never Quite Free - 8 or 9
13. Liza Minnelli Forever - ?
Intangibles - Average
Listen on Spotify / I-Tunes


What are your thoughts on The Mountain Goats All Eternals Deck?

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