The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
6 Oct 09
4AD
Review by Rachel Coppenhaver
The Mountain Goats' front man John Darnielle is certainly no stranger to delving into serious subject matter for his albums. In the past, he has given us tales of troubled meth addicts and a downward spiraling alcoholic couple. This time around, he turns to the Bible for inspiration. While past songs have touched on Biblical themes, now each song gets a specific passage that brought about the story. For those that don't want to flip through a dusty Bible (or more likely, some sort of online version) to figure out what the verses that each song is named after, worry not. While new insight can be brought about after a bit of religious research, the music and stories can be experienced without as well.
Some of the songs serve as a starting point for the song, while others take on a more direct interpretation, with Darnielle including the verses almost directly into the lyrics such as on “Psalm 40.2” where the verse (“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”) becomes “He has raised me from the pit/And he will set me high”. The song still preserves the visceral emotion that makes the Mountain Goats work so haunting, with Darnielle's piercing vocals belting out such lyrics as “Feel bad about the things we do along the way/But not really that bad/We inhale the frozen air/Lord, send me a mechanic/If I'm not beyond repair.”
Much of the rest of the album is more subdued, but not less heartfelt with subtle instrumentation building up the story. Later on in the album, more tender emotions are explored with “I John 4.16”. Darnielle takes on a little bit more of a creative license on the verse turning it into a longing love song with sweet lyrics like “I know you're thinking of me/Cause it's just about to rain/So I won't be afraid/Of anything, ever again.” The Life... ends with the only song that is not named after one specific verse, but a chapter, “Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace”. The piano is beautiful and Darnielle's vocals so full of feeling that it almost seems on the verge of breaking as he “Drive until the rain stops/Keep driving”.
The beauty of The Mountain Goats music is that each song is complex and simple at the same time with story and music intertwined. With every additional listen you can be drawn more and more into the thoughts and emotions. The Life of the World to Come is no exception.
