The Life of the World to Come, Durham resident John Darnielle’s 16th album under the Mountain Goats moniker, proves that prolificacy does not always sacrifice quality. Take that, Ryan Adams.
On an album of songs named after Bible verses, Darnielle’s astounding lyrical poignancy remains fresh. Fortunately, the influence of the Good Book enriches, rather than fully informs, the spirituality of the album. Darnielle is still reacting to the world around him, trying to discern the relevant from the superfluous, and the result is powerful songwriting flush with personal anecdotes.
On the pop-inflected “Genesis 3:23,” Darnielle visits his old house: “Living room to bedroom to kitchen/Familiar and warm/Hours we spent starving within these walls/Sounds of a distant storm.” “Matthew 25:21” hauntingly portrays a visit to a dying friend and a premature eulogy: “You were a presence of light upon this earth/And I am a witness to your life and to its worth.” Darnielle’s lyrics, by exposing his own psyche, speak of universal experiences that demand the listener’s contemplation.
Musically, Life doesn’t stun as much as it shimmers. The arrangements are simple: steady acoustic guitar and piano occasionally paired with orchestration by Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett. On “Hebrews 11:40,” violins vibrate above a chugging rhythm to form the album’s most dynamic track. Primarily, though, the music is a vessel for the poetic lyrics, unspectacular but adequate.
This album gives the feeling that if John Darnielle hadn’t picked up a guitar one day, he would be a poet. And if poetry were more popular, he would be a grizzled artist sitting in an armchair somewhere. But fantasy aside, 16 albums later, the Mountain Goats still make great music. For that, we can all sing praise.
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