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

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
The Life of the World to Come
(4AD)
**** (out of 5)

Every song on The Life of the World to Come is named after a Bible verse, and while the connections between the associated scripture and John Darnielle’s lyrics are sometimes obscure, there’s no mistaking the devotional, spiritual qualities of this disc. But it’s a disc that’s as much about doubt as it is about faith, sung by a man still searching for the pathway to heaven, not guiding others onto it. And Darnielle, whose voice is more than capable of hitting piercing street-preacher decibel levels, here sings so softly the album could have been recorded in a confession booth. That hushed delivery is especially effective on “Deuteronomy 2:10,” a song sung from the point of view of animals on the verge of extinction — Darnielle wrings surprising poignancy from the line, “There’ll be no more after me.” (There’s no Noah’s Ark on the horizon in Darnielle’s universe.)

Much like the Bible itself, Darnielle’s albums may be difficult to grasp as a whole, but they contain individual verses that are heart-piercingly wise and beautiful. (And quotable too!) To his many disciples — myself included — he does what Aaron did for Moses, speaking eloquently about emotions we don’t quite have the words to express.