i like these guys, i really do, but after just listening to the Sunset Tree in full, it really is hardwork sometimes. As in every song follows the format:

"it was 4 oclock and we were in the house i did this as the blah blah did this then we did that and then i did that and i smelt that and then i noticed something really specific which induces a sense of faux nostalgia".

I dunno, it's really great in songs like Next Year, but at times it gets a bit much. Discuss.

naw

Sunset Tree is not my favorite Mountain Goats.

i like his non-studio stuff tons better. dude is an unbelievable lyricist

every tom wolfe essay, no matter what he is talking about is eventually about class struggle.

Yeah, it's one thing for some people to prefer his newer studio stuff, but it's kind of frustrating how it's now become everybody's introduction to John Darnielle. The Mountain Goats used to be something almost completely different from what it is now. It's like everybody's missing out on a whole world of great stuff by jumping into his newer stuff and assuming that it's representative of what he's always done.

There are definitely two Darnielle's, and while I love the overall sound of Sunset Tree, "Fall of the Star High School Running Back" came on shuffle today and reminded me why "All Hail West Texas" is probably my favorite MG album.

i got into him back in 94 and i think i like the newer stuff better.

started listening to this guy last week because
of the "vs. weakerthans" thread

i didnt take to it until i found some darker songs

"i hope i cut myself shaving tommorrow
i hope it bleeds all day long"
...
this shit is great i want to hear all of it

but i havent found any songs
(as far as the musicianship goes)
that quite touch the weakerthans
but ive only gone through about 4 albums

also,
seems like we're comparing
a singer/songwriter to a band and
i think thats a bad idea

and
even if we were comparing
lyrics vs lyrics
one guy with like 15 albums vs one with 4
that aint fair