Unglued Reviews

The Mountain Goats’ third studio album (after a slew of lo-fi releases, many recorded straight into a boom box) is a wonderful, intimate affair, as fans have come to expect from singer/songwriter John Darnielle, who makes up the core of the group.

Darnielle is no stranger to having the same characters reappear from song to song, but whereas the ‘Alpha’ and ‘Going to…’ song cycles were spread over many albums, The Sunset Tree is a self-contained series of mainly autobiographical numbers. Many of the tracks detail John’s childhood relationship with his abusive stepfather, beginning with This Year. But despite the catalogue of violence, this is a positive album – This Year’s refrain of “I’m gonna make it through this year if it kills me” is delivered in life-affirming tones.

Dance Music is a clear standout. The song is driven by piano and jangly guitar, but it’s Darnielle’s lyrics that push it to the next level. When he tells of taking refuge in his room while his mother and step-father fought and sings “Lean in close to my little record player on the floor / So this is what the volume knob’s for”, it’s a moment that will ring true to anyone who’s ever found solace in music in the face of reality. Like many other tracks, the song is only strengthened by the fact that it ends before the story is over. These fragments evoke a mood, and over the whole album they weave a tapestry that creates the impression of John’s early years rather than telling a story with a clearly defined beginning, middle and end.

Lion’s Teeth is distinguished by an uncharacteristic marching beat that propels the song along with its vivid magical realism imagery, whereas the following Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod is gentle and haunting. Despite its silly name, it’s one of the most heartfelt and honest tracks, as well as containing another allusion to the importance of music in Darnielle’s life.

I’m sure some purists are still horrified at the fact that tape hiss no longer forms part of The Mountain Goats’ instrumentation, but most fans should have gotten used to the evolution by now. And the fact is that the studio environment helps rather than hinders many of these tracks – I can’t imagine Dilaudid’s combination of vocals and choppy cello would succeed without it.

Not all the tracks are equally essential, but the highlights easily rank among the best songs I’ve heard this year. The Sunset Tree is a definite winner.

Owen Heitmann