It's a tough racket writing a review of The Mountain Goats latest masterpiece The Sunset Tree, mostly because, quite frankly, I respect head Goat John Darnielle too much to write a fat load of bogus assessment, to say nothing of any kind of speculation as to what he and his work are all about. Add to that the fact that he writes damned near the best music reviews on the 'net, and I'll readily admit that his shadow is long.
More importantly, though, there's a forthright clarity in Darnielle's writing and voice that render talking much about it not only superfluous, but nearly just wrong: it's not something you need to pick apart - you just have to let it in.
Here's what I know about context: although every Mountain Goats song is loaded with a richness of detail and emotional verity that makes it seem lifted directly from life, they are mostly fictional song cycles, peopled by characters as throughly and vividly drawn as any novelist's. Last year's saga of doomed tweakers, We Shall All Be Healed, and The Sunset Tree are his first full-on forays into the autobiographical. The Sunset Tree digs through an adolescence in San Luis Obispo with an abusive stepfather. Last year, Darnielle's stepfather died, and these songs came out.
Although his is a heavy subject, Darnielle has an unerring ability to be whole-hearted and emotional in a clean, unsentimental way. He addresses the demons with a direct truthfulness and sense of context that allows the songs to transcend any sense of the cringingly topical that might diminish them, or distance us from the heart of his narrative.
Asked if singing these songs made him sad, Darnielle recently told mlive.com "I do most of my freaking out when I'm writing. When it comes time to sing them, it's a whole different matter. All this stuff happened so long ago... Re-inhabiting that younger man's mind is like method acting; I feel it, but there's still the feeling-much-better-now-thanks adult lurking behind."
Article comments
1 - Bryan
Another nice review Jaime -- you have a tendency to keep broadening my musical pallete. I don't have enough time to listen to it all, damn you!
2 - rcjohnso
Amen, sista. (Speaking to Jaime here, not Bryan.)
3 - multi-maxin' jackson
This review is bad. the mountain goats are the finest Nu Metal band I have ever moshed to, and I don't appreciate you making them sound sensitive and itelectshual. Did u not catch the satanic innyouendo of the goats in the band's name? It's not fair 2 fans who understand the popularest bands are great cuz they don't like 2 act all "special".
4 - Jaime, standing corrected
Oh good lord, you're right, Mr. Multi-Maxin. People, The Goats tear ass up. They bring the metal hard, fast and loud.
Rock on, Lock on, SATAN.
5 - sierra
I don't know if the nu-metal comment was for serious, but it made me laugh a little.
Then again, John Darnielle is the most metal person in the whole world, so I can see why he's so upset.
6 - Anna
No one is more metal. Seriously. Rock on, John!
m/ m/
7 - ArgyleS
It's true: this record is absolutely incredible. I hope more people come to know the genius of the Mountain Goats because of it.
Thanks for this review.
8 - Temple Stark
Jaime, This work of art in words you have created now has another venue for success, glory and taking control of the world - and many more eyes - at the Advance.net Web sites, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers.
One such site is here.
Also please let your contact know the review is published at one more place. That helps a lot.
Thank you.
Temple Stark
9 - Jaime Nichols
Thank you again, Temple!