Ornate polished arrangements contrasts with turbulent lyrics

The Mountain Goats have had a long career. Since starting out in 1991, the band was comprised of only John Darnielle and a cassette deck boombox. Releasing lo-fi home recordings that circulated among music circles and indie labels, the band gained acclaim for their production and Darnielle’s songwriting. Today the band has expanded the scope of their musical arrangement. Starting with 2002’s Tallahassee, the band now comprised of John Darnielle, Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster and Matt Douglas, have evolved their sound to a much more polished and composed approach to songwriting. Abandoning the boombox cassette for a mix between folk rock and jazz gives the songs composition and lyrics more depth that makes them engaging. This more polished approached seems to strengthen the band as they show no signs of slowing down and their albums have not diminished in quality. Rather each album has benefited from the more polished production, with each release getting better, their 21^st album Jenny from Thebes is no exception.

Considered a spiritual successor to their 2002 and 2012 albums All Hail West Texas and Transcendental Youth respectively, Jenny from Thebes is a concept album that explores the same titular character through the themes of individualism and the interaction with society.

The album begins with “Clean Slate” which has the hallmarks of an opening to a musical such as, a slow piano intro that quickly picks up tempo, horns and strings that accompany the drums and joyous lyrics describing the setup for the story. The next track “Ground Level, goes back to familiar territory with a guitar shuffle rhythm that’s blended nicely with keyboards, baritone sax and backing vocals.

The first two tracks do a nice job setting up the theme of the album, as the next track “Only One Way” is where the album starts to pickup steam. “Only One Way” recalls the warm, breezy sounds of Jackson Browne and Chicago, as the sweeping arrangements contrast with the turbulent lyrics that depicts Jenny is going through a whirlwind of conflicts brought on by false optimism and reluctance to talk about the past.

Things come to a head on “Murder at the 18^th St. Garage” as the track kicks off an overdrive of electric guitar and a hard driven rock beat. This gives the lyrics a sense of dramatic urgency, as Jenny has crossed a line that starts to have an effect on her psyche. From the onset of the music, the lyrics are filled with a combination of tongue-in-cheek meanings to Jenny’s actions that leaves the listener confused as to whether Jenny’s decision was right or wrong.

This comes full circle on the track “Jenny III,” where the song is now told from the perspective of the victims that have been affected by Jenny’s actions. Using a combination of ornate strings and a driving bassline, the lyrics tell of the victims’ disbelief; how Jenny was changed from this simple girl living on the ranch to living the life of a thief and criminal. The strings close off the song, as they convey the tragedy of this fallen protagonist.

The final track (and the best song on the album) “Great Pirates” closes this tale of Jenny. Knowing she can never go back to the way things were; Jenny now accepts she has changed and decides to stop looking back, heading on out with her new life. The composition itself is a culmination of The Mountain Goats polished, ornate production. Electric guitars accompany the main chorus, the quiet keyboards provide a nice dusky atmosphere in the background, while the saxophone plays a soulful trill that closes off the album and the story of Jenny.

By breathing new life into their Jenny character, the band has added more depth to their already accomplished songwriting. Jenny from Thebes is a wonderfully crafted album, with such a lush production, poignant lyrics and diverse instrumentation, this is The Mountain Goats movement forward at its peak and a welcomed addition to their vast discography.