There are exceptions to every rule. The Mountain Goats are one of them for me. Being from the anti-folk/alt-country/singer songwriter camp I always have a difficult time dealing with intimate, quiet, and acoustic music but there's just something about the Mountain Goats that grabs me between the ears. While I didn't really like their first album, from the second until now I've been gripped by them and I don’t foresee their spell ending any time soon. All Eternals Deck is a rich, deeply emotional, and orchestrated work that just happens to be acoustic.
All Eternals Deck is the sort of record that's so intimate and sounds so personal that it's as if the Mountain Goats had recorded it in my living room. This is a dramatic sounding record that really never raises its voice but instead creates volume through arrangements, instrumentation and lyrics. There's something about John Darnielle's voice that's hypnotic and soothing no matter how somber the tone or the tale. I could listen to him rattle off the phone book and be mesmerized by his intonations and that’s probably why I’m drawn to this band so much.
Anyway, All Eternals Deck is a fantastic album that's imaginative, haunting, and cinematic in its approach. Darnielle doesn't disappoint here and his expressive turn of phrase is simply awesome. As always he's written an intriguing album worth spending quality time with. In a long line of quality albums this one is no different; all good and all worth owning.
You can see and hear how good The Mountain Goats are this Friday (January 27th) at Cafe 11. For more information check out visit http://originalcafe11.com/
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