#6: The Sunset Tree

Mountain Goats: The Sunset Tree
The Mountain Goats are John Darnielle. And John Darnielle writes songs like I take craps. Quickly, regularly, cleanly, beautifully, and smelling of roses. The guy is a machine. But while I had a quiet appreciation for the Goats prior to this year’s release, The Sunset Tree, I had never been the passionate fan that so many others are. Shit happens.

To keep this short, it is just incredibly beautiful and incredibly, well, credible. He’s an honest man writing honest songs, reflecting on a the grandiosity of childhood and the various accoutrements of growing up. Darnielle’s trademark nasal, literate lyrics remain consistent but the music varies as much as any Mountain Goats release, with the primary driver remaining acoustic guitar, but also piano, strings, and even some danceable rhythms included.

The Sunset Tree just works as an album, like a movie that is perfectly cast. And of all of the records on the list, this might be the one I can recommend to anyone and everyone. That means you.

(Darnielle also has a great blog, Last Plane to Jakarta)

(Also: excellent review of this album here)