Postcard from the gift shop, TRACK: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS – “Waylon Jennings Live!”
The Mountain Goats – In League with Dragons is available now via MERGE.
by Walter Price
The Mountain Goats are back with a brilliant new album, ‘In League with Dragons’ (Merge Records). Chock-full of literal and figurative Wizard Kings, Possums, Cadaver Dogs, alkaloids and Waylon Jennings.
Sure, the way John Darnielle and gang construct story songs centered around dark if not forbidden subject matters is now legendary. And on this album, the wordsmithery, twisty memories, and guilty smirks are at the band’s best. For example, track number nine, “Waylon Jennings Live!”, is as oddly playful as it is abstract and, well, kinda sad. The way I hear it is that this is a vignette from a never-finished memoir of a traveling musician.
Get a postcard from the gift shop
Let my family know I’m doing fine
Looking up at a map up on the ceiling
To find the place where we all meet up further on down the line
The imagery and sentiments of a road-weary soul, in an Iowa casino, burnt out and facing the inevitable next stop, whatever or wherever that may be. Check it out below, and see where it takes you…
the mountain goats
John Darnielle – Peter Hughes – Jon Wurster – Matt Douglas
In League with Dragons
Jon Wurster – drums & percussion
Peter Hughes – bass
Matt Douglas – woodwinds, guitars, vocals
John Darnielle – guitars, vocals
Thom Gill – guitars
Johnny Spence – organ, Memorymoog, piano, Wurlitzer, synth
Bram Gielen – guitars, piano, synth
Owen Pallett – piano, organ, guitar
Produced by Owen Pallett
Engineered by Matt Ross-Spang
Assisted by Lowell Reynolds
Mixed by Shani Gandhi at Gates Avenue
Recorded at Blackbird Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen Mastering, Carrboro, North Carolina
Artwork by Elton D’Souza
Design by Daniel Murphy
