Dread dominates the latest long player from the Mountain Goats. "Never sleep," lead singer John Darnielle counsels midway through the album. "Stay awake," he advises a song later.
There's fear here, but resolute resilience too - the centerpiece is a song about Charles Bronson. As always, the Goats' lit rock provides layers of imagery, and parsing these lyrics will take fans until the fall semester.
"All Eternals Deck" refers to a fortune teller's deck of cards, and Darnielle offers his prediction for the future: We're doomed. He drew inspiration from 1970s occult movies, and song titles reference vampires, serpents, scorpions and Judy Garland's autopsy.
The Goats consider these eerie subjects in short songs with minimalist trio arrangements. While Darnielle's English-major vocals and strummed guitar are front and center, occasional frills keep things interesting. For example, piano and shimmering strings transform a song titled "Outer Scorpion Squadron" into pristine chamber pop. Now that's spooky.
CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: The album's most straightforward lyrics can be found on the droll "For Charles Bronson," which explains the late actor's secrets to success. "Stay cool and seldom speak," Darnielle sings. "Try to hold the gun straight."