Search - Mountain Goats :: The Coroner's Gambit

Good Like Food

S J Watson | Hamilton New Zealand | 02/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not only is John Darnielle a thoroughly nice guy, but he's currently making some of the most literate and emotive music under the radar. Look, lets be honest if you like your records with industrial strength studio polish and nary a bum note or fluffed string in sight, then this isn't for you. If you understand the idea that humans make mistakes, and that trying to erase your mistakes, and attain perfection only makes you less human, than welcome to what will become one of the soundtracks to your lives...the honest, the witty, the tender, the empathetic and just plain bloody wonderful Mountain Goats.
Too many great tracks on this one to mention. Just listen."

The essential Mountain Goats album

James Maxey | Hillsborough, NC United States | 07/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For new listeners to the Mountain Goats, an important thing to understand is that there are two distinct Mountain Goat eras. The first is often called "lo-fi." These include such albums as Sweden, All Hail West Texas, Zipolte Machine, and collections like Ghana. Most of these albums are recorded on a boom box, with John Darnielle solo on vocal and guitar, and the occasional accompaniment of one or two other artists. The second era is the studio era initiated with Tallahassee, growing in complexity with We Shall All Be Healed, and reaching its artistic pinnacle with The Sunset Tree. Straddling these two eras stands "The Coroner's Gambit."



On Gambit, John has reached full maturity as a lyricist. Songs such as The Alphonse Mambo, Baboon, and Family Happiness show a depth of imagery and complexity of emotions that rival those of the Sunset Tree. And, it's difficult to listen to Trick Mirror without concluding that this song is as much about his abusive childhood as the Sunset Tree song Up The Wolves.



Musically, the stark folk sound of his early albums is giving way to the rock tracks of later works. Jaipur, the lead track, is full of punk rock energy, yet full of religious images that raise it above standard pop fair into the realm of the profound. Yet, most of the tracks on this album are recorded on a boom box, and the raw, low-fi sound gives this album an urgency and immediacy that his later, more polished work never quite captures.



For a glimpse of the best of both Mountain Goat eras, and as a fine, stand alone work dealing with death and loss, Coroner's Gambit is, I think, the essential Mountain Goats album."

Low Fedelity High Anxiety

R BUCHANAN-BLACK | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire United Kingdom | 09/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Mountain Goats are one of the few bands that I can?t hear enough of. The purity of the words, the lack of pretension within the music, and the simplicity of the production. Low fidelity, high anxiety. This is a masterpiece, their isn?t a track that I tire of, I sit and listen again and again as each line is rattled out. If you want something that you can have on as background music whilst you do something else then this is not for you, but if like me you like to be challenged by your music, if you need something that demands your attention then here is a supreme album.I have great respect for the power of words but it is so easy to move from genuine heart felt sentiment to gushy pathetic pop stereotypes but not here. The lyrics that manifest themselves on this album are of the highest quality, often warm, sometime scathing and always passionate.My wife would bear testimony to the fact that it has rarely been off my CD player since I unpacked it, superb, but not for everyone."