John Darnielle Of The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats.
Great Songwriter's come in many shapes and sizes but none have stood the test of time quite like the man himself, Mr. Bob Dylan. Today, there is a whole new breed of singer/songwriter's following in his footstep's while they forge new paths; and none more worthy of exploration than John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.
The Story
As we delve into the current masters of this unique art form,one tale that is as old as storytelling itself is that of a man lost or losing, suffering at the hands of another, but who somehow finds forgiveness and solace. As ancient as The Old Testament's Prodigal Son to as recent in pop culture as Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption.
It doesn't happen often, but occasionally storytelling songwriters tackle this subject with entire albums. Enter The Mountain Goats and their latest album The Sunset Tree. The storyline through a good portion of this work concerns the pain and loss of innocence suffered at the hands of an abusive step-father. Understandably, this is a weighty subject, but you will find that John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats is a profound and insightful writer more than ready to bare all and begin the search for forgiveness. Despite the subject matter, the reward is rich. Listen for yourself.
The Artist's Take
John Darnielle's message on many of the songs in The Sunset Tree is about coming of age in Los Angeles with this oppressive, hateful and abusive person trying to control his life. And how he escapes that life, but not without scars. Darnielle's loss of innocence came long ago, but this memoir on a troubled childhood is abundant with the imagery of a scared and confused kid who is at wits end and contemplates suicide ("I write good reasons to freeze to death").
The redeeming and charming quality of this music lies in Darnielle's resolve. Rather than sound bitter about his upbringing (where his voice most certainly slips into at times), he declares strength and a desire for something better ("I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me"). What I find so interesting about Darnielle's version of this story is that he doesn't seem to have regrets about sharing quite personal information. The album is a cleansing experience for both writer and listener.
The Songs
This album tells a tale and is best listened to from start to finish. However, the following stand out to me as the most poignant:
* "This Year" - proof of Darnielle's grit and determination to live without fear and apprehension
* "Dance Music" - uses dance music, especially at high volume, to escape harsh realities and feel better about the awful events surrounding him
* "Up the Wolves" - inner monologue of the battle to keep anger and bitterness at bay, while maintaining hope
Perhaps the most haunting song on The Sunset Tree is "Up The Wolves." I interpret this song as more of an inner monologue of frustration, with frightening consequences in all of us if we really let our anger and bitterness get the better of us.
But continuing the theme of redemption, Darnielle sings:
"There's gonna come a day when you feel better / You'll rise up free and easy on that day / And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air / Just when that day is coming, who can say? Who can say?"
What is so intriguing about his message is that he has hope, but never lets the listener believe that he will be okay...and that he still might lose it:
"I'm gonna bribe the officials, I'm gonna kill all the judges / It's gonna take you people years to recover from all the damage."
Darnielle wants to get better and is trying to move on...but can't promise anything.
* "A Song For Dennis Brown" - a fear that he might be similar to the man who caused him so much pain
The last three songs of The Sunset Tree have some of the most poignant material as they are the most honest and straightforward on the album. Although the content is actually about former reggae star Dennis Brown's battle with cocaine, "A Song For Dennis Brown" can be interpreted as Darnielle's narrator comparing himself to this man Dennis Brown, possibly a metaphor for his stepfather. The theme of losing innocence permeates here once again as he fears that he might be like this man as he's grown up.
* "Love Love Love" - the lengths people go to for affection, appreciation and love
Darnielle's swan songs, the last two on the album, fill the listener with hope and provide his narrator with the redemption from the shackles of an abusive man. In the first, "Love Love Love", Darnielle tips his hat to the power of love and close relationships, ironically explaining what people will do for love. The key line in the song (and perhaps the album) reveals that it is as simple as the narrator's desire for love: "Love love is gonna lead you by the hand / into a white and soundless place." I have to admit it took me several listens to find this gem, but it now rings true that Darnielle has the same desire as anyone else: to know that at the time of his death, those people close to him love him.
* "Pale Green Things" - redemption and forgiveness do come at the most unlikely times
The Sunset Tree's coda comes clean: John Darnielle's stepfather died a few years ago. As he learned about his passing from a late night phone call from his sister, he reflects back upon one of the happier memories he had of them spending time together at the racetrack. Despite the abuse, Darnielle has affection for the vivid memory of "pale green things" at the track and ultimately, affection for the man who provided him with so many scars. Whether or not he misses him is up for debate; but as the album comes to an end, we get the feeling that he has comes to term with his pain and loss and we feel a little better equipped to be able to cope with our own.
The Dénouement
Sometimes, after we experience a story as difficult as this one, we feel emotionally drained. This is not the case with The Sunset Tree. Although the story is dire, listeners will find not only beauty in this songwriter's tale, but also music that in many places is uplifting and introspective. I guarantee that Darnielle's characters will stay with you and isn't that what great storytelling is supposed to do?
An interesting post script: I wondered about the derivation of the title of The Mountain Goats' latest offering, The Sunset Tree. Darnielle took it from a 19th Century hymn in Samuel Butler's The Way of All Flesh. It's a very obscure reference to a hymn sung in the book: "Come, come, come; come to the sunset tree for the day is past and gone."
