The sparseness of John Darnielle's voice and the simplicity of his guitar should not be confused for easy listening.
Instead, Darnielle and his band, The Mountain Goats, have depended on their sophisticated lyrics to draw people's attention to their first 16 studio albums. Their 17th, The Life of the World to Come, is no different.
Darnielle, who spent 2005's The Sunset Tree singing about his abusive relationship with his stepfather, sounds vulnerable throughout this record. At the same time, though, there is a degree of tenderness present that clearly shows how Darnielle could have worked as a psychiatric nurse before turning to music full-time.
The Mountain Goats are carried by Darnielle's lyrics, and this album is based around Bible passages that affected the lead singer in some way over a two-year period.
InRomans 10:9
for instance, Darnielle says, If you believe in your heart and confess with your lips / Surely you will be saved one day. Some have accused this album of tipping too far into the realm of Christian rock at times.
Darnielle's relationship with God and religion is not always as clear and simple, though. On the album's first track, 1 Samuel 15:23 he says, All faces at my window I would welcome them inside / I sewed clothes for them
cloaks and capes / Go down to the Netherworld
plant grapes.
By surrendering the salvation that he is promised by religion in order to do what he considers right, Darnielle seems to be showing a degree of frustration with organized religion.
The lyrics are given greater depth by the relaxed percussion and effortlessly playful guitar that dance along with Darnielle's pained voice. The sounds aid the lead singer but leave him uncomfortably alone in the spotlight with only his prescient ruminations on everyday life to keep him company.
Darnielle's greatest strength as a lyricist is his ability to take a simple idea and give it greater meaning. On Genesis 30:3
for instance, he sings, Open up the promise of the day / Drive the dark things away / I will do what you ask me to do/ Because of how I feel about you. The Mountain Goats' fans are notoriously loyal because of lyrics like these, as they feel that Darnielle is one of them who accidentally went from being a wallflower to the stage, kicking and screaming and trying to explain who he is to both the audience and himself the whole time.
Darnielle's willingness to discuss subjects that are normally ignored have given The Mountain Goats an excellent addition to their catalog.
- Adam Wagner is a sophomore studying journalism. Send him an e-mail at aw333507@ohiou.edu.
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Culture
Adam Wagner
