The Life of the World to Come (2009)

The Mountain Goats are, for all practical purposes, the endlessly clever and prolific John Darnielle and whatever musicians he surrounds himself with, which means that while the soundscape may change from project to project, the overall tone and feel of Darnielle's work remains remarkably consistent, an impressive achievement, really, since The Life of the World to Come is his umpteenth album (his 16th, actually, and his sixth for 4AD), and if an album where every track is named after a Bible verse looks like it's going to ... Read More

The Mountain Goats are, for all practical purposes, the endlessly clever and prolific John Darnielle and whatever musicians he surrounds himself with, which means that while the soundscape may change from project to project, the overall tone and feel of Darnielle's work remains remarkably consistent, an impressive achievement, really, since The Life of the World to Come is his umpteenth album (his 16th, actually, and his sixth for 4AD), and if an album where every track is named after a Bible verse looks like it's going to be a radical departure for Darnielle, rest assured, it isn't. This isn't some praise & worship affair, but is instead a considered treatise on the use and meaning of faith in our lives, and it's a theme Darnielle has visited frequently in his past work, and it isn't the first time he's used Bible verses to provide narrative structure to a song, either. He's always done that here and there on his projects, but this is the first time a whole album from him has used Bible verses as an over-arching scheme. Other than that, The Life of the World to Come is business as usual, with Darnielle musing on the need to believe and keep faith in something as the pressures, horrors, and oddities of life in the 21st century flash by at the speed of a keypad. There is a downcast and deeply meditative mood to this album, though, and the arrangements feature more piano than guitar (and plenty of violin arrangements from Owen Pallett), but Darnielle's fans don't need to worry here. He's still writing finely observed vignettes that manage to intersect life as we live it with life as we wish we could live it, and as such, he has more in common with a short story writer than he does with the typical singer/songwriter. What Darnielle has discovered, though, is that faith has its twin opposite, and it's called doubt, and the dark, uncertain path between the two is where most of our lives are led. This isn't a religious album in any normal sense of the word -- Darnielle certainly isn't preaching here or trying to point anyone to Heaven or any other place -- but it is a deeply spiritual one, and if it's a more muted affair than the last couple of albums, it doesn't really stand out of phase from them. By the end of the sequence (and Darnielle saves the darkest track, "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace," a song about a drug-addicted murderer driving to Mexico for last), one is sort of wishing he'd lighten up a bit, though. When faith works, it leads to resolution, contentment, and joy, after all. Maybe that's the theme for the next album. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi Read Less

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• CD, Fair 2009, 4AD UPC: 652637293227 See Item Details ▾

  Service First Media BEST Taylorsville, KY, USA

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  	Edition: 2009, 4AD CD, Fair	Details: UPC: 652637293227 Discs: 1 Label: 4AD Released: 2009 Alibris ID: 17982601283	Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: $3.48 Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
  Seller's Description: Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
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• CD, Very Good 2009, 4AD See Item Details ▾

  HPB-Emerald HIGH Dallas, TX, USA

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  	Edition: 2009, 4AD CD, Very Good	Details: Label: 4AD Released: 10/06/2009 Alibris ID: 18076023450	Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: $3.48 Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
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2009, 4AD UPC: 652637293227 CD See All from $9.16