In form alone, Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan feels like a summation of John Darnielle’s ambitions across his 30-year-plus career. His work as The Mountain Goats, rich with storytelling and character study, has often approximated the trappings of musical theater, from the detailed scene-setting of his 2002 classic Tallahassee to the loosely structured rock opera of 2023’s Jenny from Thebes. But the project’s 23rd album feels practically made for the Broadway stage, right down to the sweeping orchestration of the album’s opening “Overture” (the first time an instrumental has been featured on a Mountain Goats album). Fittingly, the record features backing vocal contributions from Hamilton godhead and longtime Darnielle friend Lin-Manuel Miranda—but despite these slight shifts in sound, longtime fans will still recognize Through This Fire as carrying the same elements of Darnielle’s music that have been present throughout his career, every song a detailed revelation of an imaginary world that its creator adds glorious life to.