Heretic Pride

THE SUNSET TREE and GET LONELY--the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle completely upended the aesthetic of his first decade as a songwriter, penning nakedly autobiographical songs given ornate, cleanly recorded arrangements. With HERETIC PRIDE, Darnielle seems to be saying that that chapter of his career has concluded: although the sound of the album does not return to the deliberately noisy lo-fi sound of early albums (see SWEDEN), Darnielle has reverted to writing fanciful, allegory-driven songs about anyone except himself. Similarly, the thrumming energy level of the early Mountain Goats returns on songs such as the title track and "Lovecraft In Brooklyn." Taking the best from the first and second parts of his career, John Darnielle here embarks on part three.