The Mountain Goats don’t seem like a band that celebrates anniversaries. However, if they did, they’d be celebrating their 28th year of existence in 2019. Let that sink in – 28 years! Singer/songwriter John Darnielle formed the Mountain Goats in 1991, the very same year as Operation: Desert Storm, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and the death of Freddie Mercury. Time has marched on and, just like our lives, The Mountain Goats have evolved, matured, and experienced many changes. A lot of talented folks have passed through the Goats’ ranks as members or collaborators – including Kaki King, John Vanderslice, Annie Clark, Franklin Bruno, and many others – but Darnielle has remained the band’s only constant member. And like all of us, he has changed throughout the years. Much like every small town in any Smalltown, USA, the core foundations of the Mountain Goats’ sound remains the same while everything around it has changed. That is what we call life…
Initially from the college
town of Claremont, California, Darnielle and the Goats ended up in Durham,
North Carolina. With a stable line-up that includes Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster
and Matt Douglas, this is a band
that has continued to grow a dedicated fanbase while somehow remaining
independent in almost every sense of the word. Bathed in the glow of critical
success but dancing just out of reach of total world domination, Darnielle has
the luxury of doing things his way and avoiding getting caught up in the
trappings of the big music business machine. While Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Bright Eyes, Bonnie Prince Billy, and loads
of other bands have fallen in and out of favor on a regular basis with critics
and absent-minded hipsters, the Mountain Goats have managed to continue doing
what they want without losing any of their credibility. When it was rumored –
and later confirmed – that the Goats’ next album would be inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, the
nerd-centric role-playing game, nobody was surprised. Instead of eye-rolling
and trolling the internet, the Goats’ fanbase immediately warmed to the idea
and eagerly awaited the finished project. To have that amount of trust and
respect from his fans, Darnielle must be doing something right.
IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is
the band’s 2019 release and, as promised, it is inspired by the previously
mentioned role-playing game. However, it is something more than that. With
warmth and intimacy, these are songs that might dip into reality more than you
think, using the game as a metaphor for this troubling role-playing world of
social media that we currently live in. Then again, it could literally be about
Dungeons & Dragons. While Darnielle knows the truth, the listener will
ultimately decide on what the album means to them. IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is
remarkably tender at times, often using haunting and spacious arrangements to enhance
Darnielle’s intelligent wordplay. Other songs push those lyrics forward with a jaunty
Americana-influenced glee that mixes timeless music with timely messages. Songs
like “Possum By Night,” “Clemency For The Wizard King,” “Doc Gooden,” “Done
Bleeding,” “Cadaver Sniffing Dog,” and “Waylon Jennings Live!” are highlights
from an album that meets and exceeds all expectations. That is, if you had
expectations. IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is a thoroughly modern release that invites
the ghosts of John Denver and Jim Croce to drink at the same bar as any of
Darnielle’s Indie and Alt-Rock influences. A soundtrack to our role-playing
lives, IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS is a triumph.
Keep on truckin’,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee
Keep on truckin’,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
IN LEAGUE WITH DRAGONS
(Merge Records)
(Merge Records)
4.26.19