hello folks! as we inch closer to the current day in the Mountain Goats discography, i’m taking a look at 2021’s Dark In Here.

absolutely love the guitar in Parisian Enclave – there’s a warmth to it that sets the tone and runs through every other part of the song. very very good. The Destruction of the Kola Superdeep Borehole Tower is the industrial version of my favorite track on the record, which comes later, in that its about working on something dark and forbidden and secret underground. pretty fun. Mobile is a pretty big tone shift – its solid as a track, and an interesting take on the Jonah story, but wild after two really intense songs to have something this laid back and meandering, especially with the songs that come after. feels a bit out of place, even though its definitely about being in a bit of an eye of a storm. Dark In Here is lower energy but bring back some of the sinister undertones and darker energy i liked a lot outta the first two songs. Lizard Suit is about not fitting in and knowing it. absolutely about masking. it even builds into a huge sensory overload crash! When a Powerful Animal Comes builds out the silence after that crash. To the Headless Horseman seems a ballad about dark travellers. very neat slow build on this song. The New Hydra Collection was the track that stood out on the listen when this recird came out. truly excellent song. The Slow Parts on Death Metal Albums is p solid. i really like Before I Got There. very much a “disaster out of my hands” song. Arguing With the Ghost of Peter Laughner About His Coney Island Baby Review is a very tender song about loss. Let Me Bathe in Demonic Light is a light, jazzy track that closes up the record well.

faves – Parisian Enclave, The Destruction of the Kola Superdeep Borehole Tower, The New Hydra Collection
dislikes

this record is phenomenal at building a sense that something’s wrong, that, well, its getring pretty dark in here. i really really appreciate that. some of the songs here lean a bit more towards the like, active, discovering a conspiracy type vibes, and those songs i really dig. the bulk of the record is a bit more about sitting in soft space and being swallowed by rot. its a moods thats impressive and consistent but not really my style – my faves here probably inform that.

Dark In Here – 6/10

next week, we’ll be doing a bit of a revisit – checking out Bleed Out, a record ive reviewed on this website before!


support the band by checking this album out on Bandcamp!

the beginning: Zopilote Machine | previous: Getting Into Knives | next: Bleed Out

all my reviews for The Mountain Goats