Rating: 
I can’t tell you how many albums I actually own by The Mountain Goats, the moniker of songwriter John Darnielle; I can say that its quite a few, including some early collections of demos. All I can say about Transcendental Youth, however, is that it’s a record that sounds more complete than anything he’s done to date, featuring careful musical accompaniment that wasn’t always present before.
Our newest affair with The Mountain Goats begins with a heavy-strummed track, “Ana aka Spent Gladiator 1.” It’s a track that uses John’s traditional lyrical fare, encouraging his protagonist to push on despite various trials. What I personally enjoyed here is the song’s heavy-handed approach, as if it’s more of a rock tune than the intimate numbers Darnielle’s composed for years. Interestingly, it fits thematically with “Spent Gladiator 2,” which deals with the same idea of fighting for survival in the world. But, this tune is more of a softer track, made more beautiful by a sparingly used piano.
While the songs on Transcendental Youth largely deal with man’s struggle to face the challenges of life, the music goes back and forth between the intimate songs and more powerful numbers. “Lakeside View Apartment Suite” revolves around a solid piano backbone, providing the feeling of solitude one would get if they were to play the role of the lead in this track. There’s additional fleshing out of the song too, with drums joining in to give an extra bit of bounce to the song. Still, the high points on the record go even further in depth with their additional accompaniment.
“Cry for Judas” uses a combination of The Mountain Goats traditional guitar strumming, rolling drum beat and a full horn section. It’s one of the fullest songs I’ve heard from Darnielle and company, illustrating that while he has a penchant for the intimate touch, he’s continually growing his sound after all these years. It also gives an emphatic boost to the record’s pacing, much like “The Diaz Brothers” does. Here, the pounding piano and handclap addition, along with some incredibly inspired drumming, gives the whole feel of Transcendental Youth more spirit that what I’ve seen before. Even when dealing with tracks about such lonesome figures, the bright-side of life is alluded to in both the album’s title and the spirit of the songs within.
For all intents and purposes, this is very much a typical Mountain Goats record. It’s typified by Darnielles unique voice, both as a lyricist and vocalist, but the album is strengthened by full sound, featuring horns and more active drumming. In doing so, it’s taken what is always a very intimate listening experience and given it a facelift, leaving you with a Transcendental Youth that is both personal and affecting. Already a fan of the group, I’ve enjoyed this record immensely, and I’m curious to see where Darnielle takes himself next.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/03-The-Mountain-Goats-Transcendental-Youth-Cry-for-Judas.mp3]
Download:The Mountain Goats – Cry for Judas [MP3]
Just a few years ago, Merge Records ran a 3-disc retrospective on the career of Big Dipper…Boston’s nerdy power-poppers. Inspired by the reception, the band went back into the studio to record Big Dipper Crashes on the Platinum Planet. It’s filled with their trademark jangling cum twangy guitars and a bit of nerdom in the lyrical content. You just don’t get better than bands like this, at least if you’re asking me. Oh, and if you needed further proof of their excellence, they’ve got the full support of Robert Pollard…and that guy is a pretty big deal.
