Transcendental Youth: an album that provides a portrait of happiness, tragedy and confusion.

For many years, The Mountain Goats was actually one single musician, John Darnielle, who has been an active singer/songwriter since the 90s. During that decade, he was known for producing low quality home recordings. Since then he has evolved into a studio musician with a full band. Some may recognize his voice in an episode of The Walking Dead in which his song “Up The Wolves” is featured.

Darnielle has been praised as a lyrical artist in that each album that is released by him seems to have a unified theme involved. For example, his second album Tallahassee describes a couple’s disintegrating marriage–being referred to by fans as “the Alpha Couple” as Darnielle alludes to “Alpha” in many of his songs.

Transitioning with Transcendental Youth, the album focuses on people who experience adversity and personal anguish such as the mentally ill, recluses and outcasts. Many teenagers who are struggling socially and are at coming-of-age in high school will be able to identify with some of Transcendental Youth’s themes, which are set in the landscape the Pacific Northwest.

Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1:

Do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive / Do every stupid thing to drive to drive the dark away / Let people call you crazy for the choices that you make / Find limits past the limits / Jump in front of trains all day and stay alive / Just stay alive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbNhqCQVpEM

Each one of Darnielle’s albums is musically and lyrically different. After listening to Transcendental Youth for the first time, I reverted to listening to some of Darnielle’s previous albums like Tallahassee or The Sunset Tree; both of which had tracks that reminded me of some slower, ballad like tunes from The Velvet Underground’s Loaded or The Kinks’ Lola Versus Powerman and the Money Go-Round, Pt. 1–a perfect mix of electric and acoustic instruments that I sometimes prefer. Though, the distinguishing musical element that sets Transcendental Youth apart from previous albums by The Mountain Goats is that a full horn section is included in several tracks. You can clearly see a growth in Darnielle’s music. After listening to it several times, it is an album that can grow on you–spiritually.

John Hodgman wrote: Transcendental Youth is full of songs about people who madly, stupidly, blessedly won’t stop surviving, no matter who gives up on them.

With tracks like “The Diaz Brothers” that has such bombastic, riveting piano and drums, and “Harlem Roulette” that speaks about loneliness, making it not just a song but a philosophy, any indie music fan should be able to find enjoyment in The Mountain Goats. Transcendental Youth creates a portrait of the tender heart and human spirit of characters in the Pacific Northwest the way that Springsteen’s legendary album The River conveys the economic hardships and struggles of New Jersey during a recession.

Similar Artists: The Tallest Man On Earth, Grizzly Bear, Bright Eyes, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Titus Andronicus