The Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride

Heretic Pride is an enigma. On one hand, it is home to the song Heretic Pride, Sax Rohmer #1 and Lovecraft in Brooklyn. On the other hand, it’s home to quite a few songs I can’t seem to remember exist. Then, I think to myself “Damn. Heretic Pride is the perfect album! I love every song!”, only to actually listen to the album and realize this isn’t true. I just have constant and recurring amnesia about the songs I dislike.

On one point I am utterly certain: the polished arrangements do not detract from the album. I love lo-fi old school John Darnielle as much as the next person (if the next person loves lo-fi old school John Darnielle a whole bunch), but these songs are meant to be polished. You can feel it. Take Lovecraft in Brooklyn, play it with old guitars and record it on a boombox in someone’s basement and it’s going to suffer. Sure, I’d love to be in that basement, hitting the record button, but the crisp energy of the song is…amazing. It would be missed.

The album is missing a central theme. I see several smaller veins, such as the manicness and unrequited love, but the overarching theme doesn’t exist. It’s kind of jarring. I walk into a Mountain Goats album expecting a package deal. Splitting up “All Hail West Texas” just doesn’t feel right, but I freely pick and choose songs from this album.

From the undeniable electricity of Lovecraft in Brooklyn to the light and airy Tianchi Lake, this album’s just hard to sum up. The only niche it seems to fill is the “Mountain Goats Fan” niche.  I guess that means, despite the change in recording and instrumentation, this newest albums remains in the “vocally and lyrically driven, story like songs for those who think stories should be about insane writers, lake monsters and cults” niche.

Oh! Crossover special. Fan of the Irish folk band Heathers? They cover Heretic Pride. I recommend watching this video now for ultra happiness.

What to Expect?

John Darnielle. You probably aren’t walking into this album without a well honed love of the man, anyway. Expect his awesomeness, some fancier music, and a good deal of awesome. And some boring, at least if you think like me. Because damn, some of the songs are boring.

What to take away?

This album is a mixed bag to the Mountain Goats enthusiast. It’s lacking some of John Darnielle’s staple elements, such as a central theme, and it has really boosted the production value, but it’s packed with some amazing goodness and is definitely worth the sticker price.

What drink to pair it with?

This is a tricky one. Without a cohesive flavor to the album, it’s hard to say. I’d venture the third least expensive bottle of Gewürztraminer at your local wine and spirits store would do well. Spicy, slightly dry, a bit unusual, and not for everyone.

Favorite song?

It’s definitely Lovecraft in Brooklyn. That song would leave me manically air-guitaring through multiple iterations. It’s just too much. I also love how different it is from Darnielle’s normal style. When that guitar grunged in to open the song up, I grinned like an idiot. I knew it was going to be brilliance.

“In the Craters on the Moon” has an undeniable something something about it, and is a hard contender for first place. John Darnielle’s quote, listed below, makes me love this song even more.

“Sometimes you just don’t want to leave the house for days… and your friends come over and say they brought groceries. Don’t let them in! It’s a trick! They’re not really your friend. When you lock yourself in your house and all you need is daytime TV, and a pencil, to keep track of the days that you’ve been locked in the house. This song was written, with that pencil.”