Best of 2006 | #20: The Mountain Goats’ Get Lonely
Tracklist:
- Wild Sage
- New Monster Avenue
- Half Dead
- Get Lonely
- Maybe Sprout Wings
- Moon Over Goldsboro
- In The Hidden Places
- Song For Lonely Giants
- Woke Up New
- If You See Light
- Cobra Tattoo
- In Corolla
Darnielle’s bleakest may also be one of his best. After The Sunset Tree and We Shall All Be Healed, diving into personal territory is no great surprise, but where those previous albums are rooted in a time and place, Get Lonely is personal while remaining timeless. It stands as a record of loss, disillusionment and isolation, and the fact that there exists no timely catharsis or resolution strengthens the power of the message. And in proper Mountain Goats fashion, that message is delivered in stark, brilliant, often painful lyrics.
Besides being one of his most touching records, Darnielle also expands the sound he began to craft on The Sunset Tree. A quieter record than most Mountain Goats fans are used to, Darnielle has a whispered confidence in his voice, accompanied by a whole host of terrific instrumental work. The cacophonous crowd of bongos, cymbals and piano that populates “New Monster Avenue” push the song to gorgeous heights, and the plucky strings of “Woke Up New” usher in the moment Darnielle comes closest to salvation, as he sings “I got ready for the future to arrive.” The loudest the record gets comes on “If You See Light,” a roaring, drum-driven number with blaring horns that draws a contrast that makes the slower tracks seem even more poignant.
Get Lonely breaks into Harmonium’s year-end list because of its ability to draw a listener in and wrestle from them the most basic of human fears – loneliness. We are notably social, and society functions on connectivity; Darnielle shows us how painful isolation can be, and he does it with a powerful and clever touch.
MP3:
New Monster Avenue