The Mountain Goats – Get Lonely
hello folks! this week, we’re looking at the 10th studio album from the Mountain Goats, Get Lonely! this record was born during the tour for the last record, The Sunset Tree, and reflects a lot on, well, the loneliness that touring can cause.
Wild Sage, the opener, is very mellow, describing a walk along a highway. its extremely evocative, nailing the vibes of a mid-morning or early afternoon aimless walk. the section around “some days i don’t miss my family” really shines for me. New Monster Avenue is about a morning before dawn. the percussion here is very interesting. until the line about looking at hands like mirrors, before the acoustic guitar turns bright, it feels very dark, but correspondingly, the song takes on a more hopeful tone when the song shift to dawn, though the final line implies the darkness isnt over yet. an interesting take on the theme of isolation. Half Dead is a very nice one – the narrator is missing someone important to them and is persevering in their everyday tasks alone. really dig this one. Get Lonely, the title track, takes the imperative at face value and describes being alone in a crowd, alone in places where youd expect not to be. Maybe Sprout Wings describes a particularly dark moment – everything about this evokes just a deep sense of dread. Moon Over Goldsboro feels like a reflection to Wild Sage – someone putting off being alone and clinging to a relationship they shouldnt, when they already are, and taking a walk to process it. In the Hidden Places has some real nice string and guitar work in it – appropriately haunting. really dig the pianos in Song For Lonely Giants. Woke Up New is another track in the same vibe as Half Dead. interesting contrast between the hopeful instrumentation and the absolute mess the narrator is in. lotta villager revolting vibes between New Monster Avenue and If You See Light. fun horn vibes on If You See Light too – my brain wants me to like this one more than i actually do, haha. i feel like its trying to crest but doesnt quite nail it. the hook on Cobra Tattoo is nice. In Corolla, fittingly as the closer, has a sort of terminal embracing of fate. fuck it – im lonely.
faves – Half Dead, In the Hidden Places, Woke Up New
dislikes –
i dont think i have too much to say about this one – its a softer, mellower, more intimate record, and despite gaining a much better appreciation for it here than in the time or two ive tried in the past, its still not really my style.
Get Lonely – 6/10
next week, we’re checking out Heretic Pride!
once again, thanks to the Mountain Goats Wiki and the Annotated Mountain Goats site.
support the band by checking this album out on Bandcamp!
the beginning: Zopilote Machine | previous: The Sunset Tree | next: Heretic Pride
all my reviews for The Mountain Goats
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