Sweaters

Let's be clear: John Darnielle (essentially, the Mountain Goat) is a monstrously talented guy, and his prolific output and willingness to revisit past themes are unquestionable virtues, at least for those (like this critic) who enjoy his skewed perspective. There are few lyricists working today who have anything approaching his facility with a phrase, and since his Dylan-at-Newport lo-fi apostasy in 2002, he's gotten a lot more adept at translating his compositions in the studio. Taken on its own merits, Heretic Pride is a success, anchored by some surprisingly assertive rock moments (the awesomely angular "Lovecraft in Brooklyn") and featuring all the hyper-literate nasal passion we've come to expect. Some people would kill to make this record, and if it came from an artist who hadn't already recorded eight jillion variations on this sound, it wouldn't bring to mind the old, worn, incredibly comfortable sweater that you no longer wear but keep around for nostalgia's sake. But it does.

The rest of my (actually rather brief) review of the Mountain Goats' Heretic Pride is over here.