By: Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor
The Mountain Goats’ 16th album, “Goths” opens with the pre-released song “Rain in Soho,” a serious, dark tune that sets the album up with engaging lyrics and a catchy melody.
Lyrical storytelling is the highlight of “Goths,” almost every song is very lyric-heavy and strays away from the normal conventions of songs, through means such as blurring the lines between verses and choruses. “The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement” stood out in this respect. The story-heavy verses are matched by the simple chorus that says “I’m hardcore, but I’m not that hardcore.”
“Goths” also uses lots of experimental instruments that aren’t typically heard in the indie folk genre. The album doesn’t use guitar like The Mountain Goats have in the past, instead, the album is mainly held up by drums, piano and bass. This choice sets “Goths” apart from previous albums and makes for a fresh sound. Horn instruments are also present in songs like “Paid in Cocaine” and “For the Portuguese Goth Metal Bands.” This gives these songs a classical feel and works well.
“For the Portuguese Goth Metal Bands” is one of the best tracks on the album. Not only does it have a unique sound with horn instruments and a mellow tone, it puts most of its focus on the verses. The song has a two-line hook in between the longer verses, rather than a chorus. This puts a lot of emphasis on the storytelling aspect of the song and makes for one of the most memorable songs on the album.
“Goths” is a unique and well done album, but there are a few songs that fail to be memorable. “Unicorn Tolerance” caught my eye because of the title, but the song, itself, fell flat. The song sounds like a generic attempt at an indie tune and zooms by without anything specific really standing out.
The album begins and ends strongly, but the middle holds some of the weaker songs. “Stench of the Unburied” also doesn’t match up well to the quality of the album.
“Goths” isn’t the best Mountain Goats album, but after 16 albums, that’s a lot to ask for. “Goths” gets a lot right in it’s lyrical storytelling and use of experimental instruments, but a few weaker, generic sounding songs keep it from being truly amazing.
Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu
