Album Review: The Mountain Goats, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan

By Christian Cole, OOTB Publications

Somewhere around the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, I left a local record shop with a few small purchases in hand; a bright-eyed teenager approaching his coming of age.

Alongside my record shop finds, I was given a free promotional compilation for Merge Records. On it was a track titled “The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out Of Denton,” by a band called the Mountain Goats.

Although I’d never heard of the band, I was immediately drawn to the track based on the title alone. So, I grabbed my Walkman, popped the disc in and promptly skipped to the aforementioned track.

I was instantly hit with a grainy and simple chord progression, awkward vocal deliveries, and incredibly quirky lyricism—I was hooked. The lo-fi charm and the story telling aspect pulled me in so swiftly as an angsty teenager; with his nose in a notebook and his hands on a guitar.

It wasn’t until years later that I dug deeper and purchased All Hail West Texas and began looking further into the Mountain Goats’ discography.

While I always found myself particularly in love with the low hum of the underproduced early years of the band, I never discredited them entirely for their latter half, finding themselves a tad more polished and adding layers. But, it never did lay upon me the exact same well of emotion that I once felt.

All of that has recently changed with the release of their new album Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan (Cadmean Dawn Records And Tapes), out this Friday, Nov. 7.

With this record, we receive the same cinematic songwriting from John Darnielle that swooned so many of us early on; only this time, it is paired against equally cinematic musicality.

The balance we find here is far too close to perfection. Darnielle’s vocal deliveries paired against thumping bass, pounding drums, orchestral breakdowns and a story so-well told creates such an incredible sonic atmosphere.

It’s truly hard to imagine a better album from a group of aging storytellers—it feels so fresh and rejuvenated and genuine. Darnielle’s songwriting capabilities shine so bright on Peter Balkan, coming together more like a musical than just an album. It’s hard to not imagine yourself there upon the ship, facing cold weather and crashing waves.

The boom and clash of string sections and woodwind instruments laying tightly against the band’s gentle groove is undeniably infectious, and especially so when paired so sweetly with Darnielle’s ability to tell a detailed tale.

With Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan, we have been given some of the band’s best work in nearly a decade; and that is not at all to discredit everything on the in-between. It’s just rare to find an album that borders so closely on the edge of perfection, but here we are.

The Mountain Goats are as true to their craft as ever; telling massive tales neatly tucked against gorgeous instrumentation with poise and grace, unmatched.

Long time fans will find nothing but joy upon their first listen of the twenty-third studio album release. This isn’t a record that needs room to grow on you, it tugs at your heart strings with urgency and nuzzles you close to its chest.

Get out and get your copy of the Mountain Goats’ Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan as soon as humanly possible. Whether you are a long standing fan, a new comer, a literary fanatic; you will be enticed on all fronts beyond your own belief.

Rating

4.8/5

Favorite Tracks

Through This Fire

Broken To Begin With

Tracklist