The Mountain Goats Breathe Fire on New Album “In League with Dragons”
Longstanding indie folk rock outfit, The Mountain Goats, have just released their seventeenth full length studio album, In League with Dragons.
The new album sees founder, guitarist, vocalist, and sole-songwriter, John Darnielle, continue his prolific career alongside current band members Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster, and Matt Douglas. The 12-track LP is the follow up to 2017s, Goths.
Caped in the guise of fantasy and otherworldliness, In League with Dragons still centers around real life issues like addiction, relationships, and mortality. This is how Darnielle responded to the Boston Globe, when asked why he often covers such topics:
“I think it’s because I am going to die,” says Darnielle with a laugh. “Everybody has their own way of coping with the idea. The closer you get to the moment of truth, that’s pretty much the central question. One day you will be no more. I’m fascinated by sports because I assume if you are a pitcher, your craft gets better, but what doesn’t get better is your arm. [As a songwriter] your powers of writing and observation get better. I don’t think my oldest stuff is my best stuff at all. We face this as we go on. What’s the nature of our magic?”
“With 16 albums behind them, it would be easy to repeat themselves and crank out another dull routine. But Darnielle and company have more respect for their audience than that, producing an album with the potency to draw in new listeners and give thanks to those already in their company.” – Paste
Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying “the Mountain Goats – a four-piece at the moment – are in excellent form.”
The Mountain Goats will be performing material, both new and old, when they hit the Top Hat in Missoula on Saturday, August 31, 2019. Tickets are selling quickly and it’s looking like this one might sell out. Details here.