Length: 47 minutes
Synopsis: Mixed bag of indie folk rock but a few great songs to add to their expansive canon
Recommendation rating: 4/5
What I like about it: the sax on Extraction Point and the funky Guys On Every Corner; the lyrics on First Blood, Incandescent Ruins and Bleed Out; all of Hostages
What I don’t like about it: the first few more rock-based songs; Wage Wars, Get Rich, Die Handsome; Need More Bandages
Review:
At first I wasn’t too happy with this album. The first few tracks are exuberent but fairly standard indie rock. John Darnielle is clearly excited to have the full band back together, letting them fall apart at their own pace at the end of the first track, Training Montage. Mark on You is forgettable and Wage Wars, Get Rich, Die Handsome feels like a real low point. I was ready to give this a 3 and call it a misstep but it started to pick up with the more complex and laidback Extraction Point and John’s reliable lyrical genius kicks in with Bones Don’t Rust and especially First Blood. My interest sustained from there, the highlights were the long Hostages and the final two tracks, especially the title song which does a favourite Mountain Goats trick – capturing a joyful, to-the-death defiance previously found in songs like Heretic Pride and Up the Wolves.
Content notes (may contain spoilers): violence and military themes, death