The Mountain Goats have made an action movie. Bleed Out is a concept album of sorts, made in a distinctly Mountain Goats way. Basically, ringleader John Darnielle wrote the record while watching movies: pausing and taking notes, so the lyrics aren’t just about familiar plotlines, but the full scope of cinematic storytelling. That info all comes in the press release, but it’s obvious to the listener even if you didn’t get an attachment with your record. Because while Mountain Goats are one of those “smart bands,” the lyrics are remarkably accessible instead of coming shrouded in symbolism.
I’m going to circle back to this idea, but the reason Mountain Goats are so effective with their folk-meets-indie-rock-meets-literary-approach is because both the music and the lyrics are direct. They speak to the listener rather than at them. It’s Writing 101, but most writers get so caught up in our work that sometimes we overlook those basics. So while the concepts behind some Mountain Goats stuff might sound too cute for its own good, they usually to deliver instead of disappoint.
At their best, Mountain Goats play energized folk. The lyrics tell the story while the music enhances it without distraction. This record has a lot of those moments, punctuated by Darnielle’s emotive vocals that can be both passionate and desperate at times, rising to meet the mood. It’s more passionate than depressing, and the action movie tropes about reclaiming authority and structure play well to that. Opening with “Training Montage,” it feels both familiar and positive -- just like it should. Later, “Wage War Get Rich Die Handsome” has an uplifting, poppish melody, and “Hostages” is one of many songs that highlight Darnielle’s vocal strengths. The storylines in these songs give perspective, sort of a breaking the fourth wall effect that’s steeped in observation rather than trying to be witty. It feels thoughtful and in touch with the lead character instead of looking down our noses at them. It’s relatable and a nice playful twist on the band’s enormous catalog. It begins inside the character’s head and, over time, the camera seems to pan back and we see the full scale of operations around us.
While there are some legit hits on here, the album has its fair share of misses too. Following mostly 1980-‘90s era films, there’s a lot of keyboard and smooth jazz going on. The more you hear the keyboards, the less you hear the message, and it feels corny and dated. “Guys on Every Corner,” “Hostages,” and “Need More Bandages” sometimes get lost in the programmed melodies. The latter two songs have slivers of powerful emotion but they get drowned out in the end. “Incandescent Rule” or the title track are good examples that achieve of balance of ‘80s instrumentation with more balance, increasing the drama instead of the cheese factor. A few songs, like “First Blood,” give me Wesley Willis vibes.
It starts out fun, but by the end it’s a concept record where I’m no longer interested in the concept.
In my opinion Mountain Goats excel at adding human emotion to detailed imagery, connecting the dots between person and place. After starting strong, the perspective seems to get more distant from our fictional lead character, and it feels more technical and observational than relatable. The growing role of the keyboards, and even some saxophone, throughout, reduce the connection and make it feel more manufactured.
