Mountain Goats, The - Get Lonely (Album)

Like an artist painting a picture, John Darnielle paints so vividly, you can see entire scenes in your head. Atmospherically and structurally similar to Death Cab for Cutie’s more dreamy numbers, The Mountain Goats’ Get Lonely gives you the indication that Darnielle is as much a poet as he is a songwriter. On “Half Dead” he displays this perfectly. On first listen the song has an upbeat tempo and you could be excused for thinking it was about something lighter than a break-up, but on inspecting the lyrics, it is just that: “Stole out to the back yard late last night/Pine trees frozen in the silvery moonlight/Rising like giants from the cold earth/What are the years we gave each other ever gonna be worth?” In this verse we can also see evidence of Darnielle’s brilliant imagery, something that sets him apart from the hoards of singer-songwriters cashing in on the trend. Although there are some hauntingly anguished songs on this album (“Get Lonely” comes to mind) there are some calmingly uplifting songs too…OK not really, the entire album is pretty much isolated and distant and…well…tortured. I’m not sure if Darnielle had recently broken off with someone, but this album basically goes through a break up, followed by the emotions experienced; anguish, alienation, loneliness and depression. If you feel the need for break-up music, this will get you through the darkest times; you can wallow in self pity and truly have a cathartic experience. In an interview with Village Voice, Darnielle states “A lot of people who listen to my stuff listen to it for comfort when they're in a sad place. That's the record I want to make this time; I want to talk to people who feel bad.”

So for those of you wanting more in-your-face Sunset Tree style confrontation, you won’t find it here. This record is introspective, but also understated and the rage is bottled, with a layer of helplessness on top. Mostly, this is evident in lusher arrangements and restrained vocals. Darnielle states in his Village Voice interview “the first song I wrote for this record was "New Monster Avenue." Vocally, it's in that middle falsetto that I really like using, which actually is a harder thing. It sounds like it's not straining, but actually it's much harder when you're singing than shouting. But I really like the sound; I like the way it feels, and most of all I like listening back to it.” The journey for Darnielle’s character ends with “In Corolla”, during which a sense of peace descends around the scene. The end of the track tells one of two tales: “And I said let them all fare better than your serpent/The reeds all pricking at my skin
Here's hoping they have better luck than I had down here with you/All that water rushing in.” Either the character is drowning himself, or baptising himself (it is a he: “And when I got home I thought about you/Like a desperate policeman searching for clues.”) Personally, I prefer the baptism, looking for a new start…what about you?

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