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Album Details

• Artist: The Mountain Goats
• Album: Get Lonely
• Label: 4AD
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: mschmitt on 2006-09-03

In a world of "indier-than-thou"ness, The Mountain Goats take the DIY cake, and eat it too. With over a dozen albums (and countless more singles, compilations, and other releases) to their name, the Californian group has already proven their musical stamina. But the fact that most of the albums, including Get Lonely, are recorded on a cheap boom-box speaks volumes on how the Goats make music. Like many other indie-to-the-extreme bands, The Mountain Goats are an acquired taste, are minimalistic to the point of just featuring front-man (and often only-man) John Darnielle, his acoustic guitar, and you. Get Lonely follows this trend with odd, highly descriptive and literal lyrics ("And I lose my footing / And I skin my hands breaking my fall / And I laugh to myself / And look up to the skies / And then I think I hear angels in my ears.") While these can become quite tedious, other snippets are much more beautiful, such as "Maybe Sprout Wings," ("Ghosts and clouds / And Nameless things / Squint your eyes and hope real hard / Maybe sprout wings"). Some songs go in one ear and out the other, leaving no taste or hook, and making Get Lonely mostly unmemorable. However, the songs that do stick keep you coming back, and the soft simplicity of The Mountain Goats are extremely appealing in a world of larger-than-life bands and personalities.

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