The Mountain Goats

John Darnielle’s chief project has blossomed over several decades from lo-fi indie folk to lush, complex pop-rock that interrogates life’s biggest issues. The Mountain Goats began as a cassette-recorded concern and blossomed into a full band with 2002’s Tallahassee, which brought multi-instrumentalist Peter Hughes into the fold. Drummer Jon Wurster would join on 2008’s Heretic Pride, while other musicians such as guitarist Kaki King and songwriter Franklin Bruno have also been in The Mountain Goats’ mix over the years. But whether playing solo into a cassette recorder or performing while surrounded by strings and brass, Darnielle (born in 1967 in Bloomington, IN, and raised in California) has kept his tightly wound voice at The Mountain Goats’ center. The singer-songwriter’s wail provides a fulcrum for his closely told tales about people dwelling on the edge: couples existing inside a powder keg of their own making (“No Children”), misunderstood youth (“The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton”), pro wrestlers hoping for a big payout (Beat the Champ).