The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck

John Darnielle, the man behind the Goats, is nothing if not prolific. His voice may appear limited in range and tone, but if you can learn to appreciate its nasal quality, his lyrical dexterity will surely shine through. “Anyone here mentions Hotel California dies before the first line clears his lips,” he sings on Liza Forever Minnelli, evoking the memory of early Loudon Wainwright III with razor-sharp wordplay and dry humour.

Musically, All Eternals Deck is kept uncomplicated and largely acoustic-based, save for a little painting with strings, most beautiful and unusual on Outer Scorpion Squadron. It’s not all downbeat, with the barbershop-folk of High Hawk Season flaunting Darnielle's delightful idiosyncrasies, and the more rockin’ Prowl Great Cain allowing the band to cut loose as the troubadour croons, “It’s hard to tell gifts of the spirit from clever counterfeits.” There’s no doubting the sincerity of this little gem however; an acquired taste, perhaps, but this is the real deal.