The Mountain Goats’ Life of the World to Come is a hard album to review: sparse and quiet, there really isn’t much happening. There are no thumping beat machines, overdriven lead guitars, or even any intricate parts. But just like any other folk music, that’s where the beauty lies; in the stripped-down nature of someone telling a story through music.
And telling stories is exactly what The Mountain Goats do. The group, if you can call it that, consists of singer and songwriter John Darnielle, and, less prominently, Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster. I’m understating the importance of Hughes and Wurster, but only because over the years The Mountain Goats have been less a group than a constantly changing mixture of musicians who all fit into the vision Darnielle had for his folk project.
As the only constant in the group’s progression, Darnielle’s influence is premier in its direction. The Mountain Goats’ music, in its various forms, has always been about the lyrics; Life of the World to Come is no different. Each song is named after a Bible verse and Darnielle weaves scripture and life anecdotes into a stream of morally conscious musings. Darnielle croons, “I won’t be afraid, of anything again” on “1 John 4:16” amid a tale of despair and lessons learned.
If the album sounds entirely depressing, don’t worry. There’s a subtlety to the music that offers a different look. While it might not seem like there is much behind the uncluttered mix of drums, guitar, and bass, there is. Darnielle is able to harness the small nuances and tweaks that work to highlight his emotion and enthusiasm, an amazing feat in such stripped and bare music. The result is an album that rewards the acute ear. Whether it’s the tight interplay between the keyboard, the ratatat of the wooden block, the rhythmic scraping of the acoustic guitar on “Philippians 3:20-21,” or the passionate syllabic stabs on “Psalms 40:2,” there is plenty to behold. It’s not the most brash or excessive performance of music, but that’s not what music is all about. Rather, it’s about the intent of the music, the energy. It’s knowing that what’s not there is almost as important as what is. For that, Life of the World to Come is an enjoyable listen, the kind of album that inspires quiet and sincere thought.
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