Album Review: The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck

The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck

Album Review: The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
by Evelyn Anne Clausen

As a young man, John Darnielle wanted to be a poet. Instead, he began putting his words to music, with the help of various friends over the years and the result was the surprisingly brilliant music of The Mountain Goats. With a solid track record of albums dating back to 1991, The Mountain Goats have produced songs that seethe with repressed anger and ache with both disappointment and hope.

All Eternals Deck, the Mountain Goat’s newest release, sticks to the trademark sounds of Darnielle’s nasally and emotional voice, but experiments with some sounds that are new for the band. The most notable difference is the increased presence of a drum kit, a contribution from the band’s newest member, John Wurster, known best for his drumming for Superchunk. Wurster joined Darnielle and bassist Peter Hughes in 2007, but this is first Mountain Goats release where the three truly sound like a unified musical force and not simply John Darnielle with a backup band.

Although much of the album will sound very familiar to fans of the Mountain Goats, tracks such as “High Hawk Season” stand out with more layered vocals and the occasional use of orchestral sounds. Tracks like “Estate Sale Sign” and “Never Quite Free” have the anthemic feel of Mountain Goat’s classics, with just enough hooks to make any listener want to sing along.

Overall, All Eternals Deck is as satisfying as any past Mountain Goats release and offers some new twists that will keep long time fans interested while appealing to new audiences. If Darnielle’s dream was to become a poet, he has achieved his goal and then some; All Eternals Deck, with its emotionally wrought lyrics and forward-thinking sound is an album not to miss.

Editor’s Note: Evelyn Anne Clausen is a contributor to DeadJournalist.com. Her reviews can be seen on this site on a regular basis. You can follow her on Twitter @evelynanne or via her Web site easbrain.com.