Transcendental Youth

Just over twenty years since John Darnielle self-released his first homemade cassette, and more than a decade since he abandoned the lo-fi boombox-recorded sound that was his initial musical gambit, The Mountain Goats continue to be one of the most consistently engaging bands on the indie scene. So much so that it can be easy to take for granted Darnielle's folkish acoustic tunes and emotionally vivid lyrics, which sometimes sound like Raymond Carver short stories distilled into three-minute pop songs. Transcendental Youth, The Mountain Goats' 14th full album, fourth since establishing a stable band (Darnielle on guitar and piano, Peter Hughes on bass and Superchunk's Jon Wurster on drums) and second on Merge Records, is of a piece with Darnielle's other recent releases. The addition of a four-piece horn section on several songs is the most notable musical departure, and one that fits the songs quite well; the layered, interlocking arrangement of the title track and the punchy, Van Morrison-inspired R&B-tinged groove of first single "Cry For Judas" are particularly inspired. But as always, Darnielle's character sketches are the true focus: opening lines as novelistic and plain-spoken as "Steal some sunscreen from the CVS/Use too much and make a great big mess" (from "Counterfeit Florida Plates," perhaps the most jaunty-sounding tune ever sung from the point of view of a homeless schizophrenic) instantly draw the listener in to these empathetic scenes. Even at his darkest, Darnielle's lyrics bespeak a hard-won optimism. The repeated "Stay alive" refrain from the two-part "Spent Gladiator" that bookends the album is perhaps the closest Darnielle has yet come to a statement of purpose.