Take pride in John Darnielle’s consistency

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Posted by Laila Hanson on 04-Jun-08 @ 11:43 AM

[4.5/5]
Mountain Goats records are notorious for their thematic cohesion and harrowing catharses, which range from the minutiae of a painful breakup (2006's Get Lonely) and geographic absurdities (2002's All Hail West Texas) to abuse head Goat John Darnielle suffered growing up (2005's The Sunset Tree). But Heretic Pride succeeds because of its focus on the details, not the big picture. Although anxiety, regret and desperation dot Pride's lyrics, the vibrant imagery used to describe these breakups, makeups and historical character sketches--the taste of "jasmine on my tongue," a "house still smells like onions" after a violent break-in--makes the songs worthy of close analysis.

Pride's music is even more ornate and well-wrought than Lonely, courtesy of contributions from St. Vincent's Annie Clark, Franklin Bruno and members of the Bright Mountain Choir. As always, Darnielle's pinched vocals reveal raw vulnerability--especially on the acoustic lament "So Desperate"--although Pride's stylistic deviations ring truer. The Elvis Costello-like jazz-soul of "New Zion" fades into the furious acoustic guitar riffs on "In The Craters On The Moon," which gives way to the terror-stricken cello and intense metal-folk fury of the startling triumph "Lovecraft In Brooklyn." One day, Darnielle might make a sub-par Mountain Goats record. Pride certainly isn't it. (4AD) Annie Zaleski

ROCKS LIKE: The Decemberists' Picaresque
St. Vincent's Marry Me
John Vanderslice's Time Travel Is Lonely


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