A shipwreck of faith and survival, told with the Mountain Goats’ signature grace.

After more than thirty years of turning raw emotion into myth, The Mountain Goats remain one of indie rock’s most consistent creative forces. What began in the early ’90s as John Darnielle’s lo-fi solo project, has evolved into a band capable of tackling stories that feel both epic and intimate. On their 23rd studio album, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan, Darnielle and company dive into new, theatrical territory — melding their trademark narrative songwriting with cinematic production and spiritual unease.

Recorded over a single winter week at Dreamland Studios in upstate New York, the album finds the current core — Darnielle, Jon Wurster and Matt Douglas — joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Stinson for a few striking moments of texture and voice. Released on their independent label, Cadmean Dawn, the record feels both handmade and ambitious, steeped in atmosphere and intent.

The album unfolds as a shipwreck narrative. Sixteen men set sail; only three survive, and one vanishes into the waves. This mythic setup gives Darnielle’s storytelling a fresh frame — one that’s as much about endurance and loss as it is about faith and fate.

“Fishing Boat,” the album’s second track, sets the tone. It begins softly, the calm before a literal and emotional storm, before blooming into a full orchestral swell of woodwinds and strings. The song captures the band’s gift for balancing tragedy and transcendence —freedom and doom intertwined like sea and sky.

Where “Fishing Boat” delivers the catastrophe, “Cold at Night” dwells in its aftermath. Over pizzicato strings and restrained percussion, Darnielle sings of survival against the odds: “The first thing you learn is how strong you can be if you have to.” Stinson’s bass and Miranda’s gentle harmonies lend warmth to a song otherwise steeped in coldness and fear.

Later, “Rocks in My Pockets” provides the album’s emotional core. Sung from the perspective of Adam, one of the final survivors, it’s stripped down to harp, voice and silence. “Some people go it alone, some need a friend,” Darnielle admits, a line that’s already resonated with listeners for its quiet truth. It’s a moment of surrender — grief rendered in its simplest, most human form.

Ultimately, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan is one of the most ambitious records of The Mountain Goats’ career — mythic yet deeply personal. It’s a story about survival, both physical and creative, and a reminder that Darnielle’s vision remains as sharp, compassionate and fearless as ever.