The Sunset Tree had been the most personal album of John Darnielle's career, dropping the fictions of previous releases and stripping it down to the facts. So it shouldn't be a surprise that Get Lonely re-engages with the world of creative fiction. There was enough blood on the floor from the previous album for a lifetime. Darnielle built a vast catalog based on his hurried strumming and rushed vocal delivery, but here he sounds considerably mellowed out, taking the time to sing in a fragile falsetto for the beautiful and stripped-down "Wild Sage." Erik Friedlander's cello adds a mournful tone to various songs, while a vibraphone and keyboards further color the sound with beautiful restraint. "New Monster Avenue" adds a hint of that ominous Darnielle fear and loathing, while "Half Dead" lets the music cruise like a mellow Southern California folk-rock tune from the early '70s. On "If You See Light," drummer Corey Fogel breaks into a ramshackle rhythm as Salvation Army Band horns trample over the melody. It's a perfect mix of darkness and light.
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