The Mountain Goats – “Mole” from We Shall All Be Healed (2004)
John Darnielle’s Mountain Goats walk a line (a ridge?) on which one side lay the depths of annoying pretension – and, at least at the 2006 Pitchfork Festival, cross that line in performance, sinking into a hideous hell of hipster-pleasing high-school-theater-kid-level showmanship, without apology. But descend the other side of the ridge and behold a veritable salt lick of subtle narration, rich details, and cliches carefully bent into vivid characterization. I dig ‘em – and Darnielle lives just down the road from me, I’m told.
UPDATE: Had some problems uploading the track for the original post (“Letter From Belgium”); here is another good song from the same record. Commentary still applies.
Posted by Glenn
