The Mountain Goats 'The Life Of The World To Come'

John Darnielle has produced at least one new album every two years since 2002 and each one has had a theme and story of its own. This has made each new Mountain Goats album feel like a real event, you know you are going to get more than just an album of six fast songs and six ballads, you can expect a whole new feel, direction and mood.

'The Life of The World To Come' is perhaps the most radical example of this to date. Each song is named after a Bible verse and Darnielle has described the record as "12 lessons I learned from the Bible". I have had a promo copy of this album for the last 10 days and I've listened to little else, I'm now awaiting the arrival of the double vinyl record with such excitement and anticipation that its hard to believe I already know these songs so well.

In terms of sound, TLOTWTC sits somewhere between 'The Sunset Tree' and 'Get Lonely', mainly quiet, sad songs which Darnielle sings in a soft voice, but impecably written and packing a huge emotional punch. The first thing to say is that you should not be put off if you are not a Christian, (I'm not), these songs do not preach, rather they tackle universal issues life, death, regret and love. All these you will find in the Bible, but also in your own life.

After a low key, sparse opening the album hits its stride with 'Psalms 40:2' as loud and passionate as anything from the last Mountain Goats album, the more upbeat 'Heretic Pride' and containing some classic Darnielle wordplay ("feel bad about the things we do/ but not really that bad"), it moves nicely into the jaunty 'Genesis 3:23', a distant cousin of 'Dance Music' and the most poppy song here, a tightly written song describing a return to an old home, wondering about the lives of the people living there now.

More accessible songs follow including 'Philippians 3:20-21' which features some lively percussion. From the centre to the end of the album though, comes a run of beautiful, highly emotive songs which carry real resonance. For example 'Genesis 30:3' is a heart-wide-open love song, sung softly by Darnielle over a piano, the slightest hint of acoustic guitar and at the very end, rolling drums and just a touch of strings. Its gorgeous and stops you in your tracks as you listen to Darnielle sing "I will do what you ask me to do/ because of how I feel about you".

There's just the slightest lift in mood next, with the jangly, acoustic 'Romans 10:9', the song here that most promotes faith, it has a lively chorus and lines like "a kind and loving God won't let my small ship run aground". From here follows another ballad similar to 'Genesis 30:3', sad but full of resolve with lines like "I won't be afraid of anything ever again" and then 'Matthew 25:21' a desperately stark account of a loved one's death from Cancer, heartbreaking and breathtaking...

...as is 'Deuteronomy 2:10', again sung over mournful piano, this time Darnielle's voice reduced at times to a tiny whisper as he sings "I am a flightless bird/ there'll be no more after me", distant drums roll again at the close, making such a slight song sound impossibly dramatic. 'Isaiah 45:23', more upbeat in terms of sound, explores the idea of a spirit being separate from the body as Darnielle sings "I won't get better...but someday I will be free/ cos I am not this body that imprisons me".

The album ends with 'Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace', sung over a sad, timeless piano melody with a feeling of resolution and the refrain "drive til the rain stops/keep driving..". The album ends with the sound of a drum like a heartbeat, life continuing.

Darnielle has made an extraordinary record here. This is one of the saddest, most emotive, but ultimately life affirming albums I have heard in a long time. At the moment I don't want to listen to anything else.

9.8

['The Life Of The World To Come' is out on Monday on cd/2LP. Do yourself a favour and buy this record]