Here's Why GFU Students Should Listen to The Mountain Goats

By: Mckenna Lloyd

By no means an unknown band, The Mountain Goats are most often referred to as an indie rock band, but their music tends to fall into multiple genres. George Fox University (GFU) students might relate to the complex themes the band's songs explore and the Christian undertones that run through The Mountain Goats' music. 

The Mountain Goats have been composed of various members over the years but have always been led by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Darnielle formed The Mountain Goats in 1991, and the band has been producing music ever since, releasing a new album close to every other year. 

Most recently, The Mountain Goats have released the “Jordan Lake Sessions: Volumes 3 & 4” following “Volumes 1 & 2” that came out last year. These albums are extensive live recordings of The Mountain Goats' songs; between songs, the band chats, explains the meaning behind some of the songs, and makes general comments about the pandemic and life. The in-between commentary makes the audience feel that they are in the studio with the band.

One of my favorite examples of the raw feeling of the live recordings happens on the twelfth track of Disc 2 to “Jordan Lake Sessions Volumes 3 & 4.” The song is called "Never Quite Free" and, as Darnielle and the group wrap up, listeners hear Darnielle and another band member discussing how the music should be played for the next song. The interaction is organic and something that will easily inspire affection for the band in their listeners. 

Another recorded exchange from the “Jordan Lake Sessions” happens on the first track of  Volume 1, "The Plague." This album was released on December 11, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the song Darnielle laughs about the fact that "we've been singing about plagues for a long time." The band brought authenticity to the reality of the pandemic with dark, resonant humor.

None of the songs on the 2020 or 2021 “Jordan Lake Sessions” are new, but this production showcases revised, often jazzy renditions of the band's most loved tracks. “Jordan Lake Sessions Volumes 3 & 4” features the track "Jazz No Children," a reimagining of one of the band's most popular songs "No Children," which saw recent virality when it became popular on Tiktok this fall, though it was initially released in 2002. 

GFU students may find The Mountain Goats' sound somewhat jarring, in that it can sometimes come off as grainy and strained. The earlier albums have a specific, 90s cassette tape grain that makes the music sound as if it is playing from a scratched record. This kind of sound, while enjoyable and unique to the band’s fans, definitely differs from contemporary pop and is even rare for modern rock and alternative music. 

The Mountain Goats

As the band evolved through the years, the endearing graininess faded from the tracks, but Darnielle's special lyricism remained. At times autobiographical, always poetic, and often analytical, The Mountain Goats’ thematic content is what stood out to me as a listener. In casual listening one will notice uniquely dark struggles and the bitter tone of many of Darnielle's songs. For example, the song "Dance Music," which appears on the album "The Sunset Tree" (2005) explores scenes from Darnielle's traumatic childhood while maintaining a bouncy rhythm that lauds Darnielle's love of dance music. This juxtaposition between lyrical content and musical tune provides a unique and nuanced listening experience.

Upon further investigation into Darnielle's lyrics, what might stand out is the dropping of Christian allusions and an attention to classic literature. Darnielle often takes part in "close-reading"—a rhetorical strategy most GFU students will be familiar with. I use the term close-reading loosely, but Darnielle's interest in picking apart and applying Bible verses and literary contexts is unmistakable. In an interview with Variety, Darnielle referred to the band's music as "literary rock."

The ambiguously Christian lyricism of The Mountain Goats' music ought to interest GFU students. They may first question the religiosity of the songs but come to embrace the unorthodox nature of titling songs after Bible verses but then singing about contemporary problems, as the band does in their album “The Life of the World to Come” (2009). About this album, Matt Mitchell for Paste explained that Darnielle took "centuries-old stories" and made them feel accessible to anyone. Darnielle acknowledges the complexity of the Christian experience but makes it approachable and universalized.  

There is angst and darkness often forgotten about in the Christian tradition that Darnielle and The Mountain Goats explore in their music. Life remains hard, full of struggles such as doubt, divorce, and depression, despite the light of Christ. The Mountain Goats do not shy away from this reality and for that reason are especially worth listening to for GFU students. The melding of upbeat sounds with apathetic and sorrowful lyrics provides a unique sense of understanding for the college student.