The Mountain Goats

Mountain Goat John Darnielle is one of the most prolific indie singer-songwriters going. On his 16th album since 1995 (!), the verbose sensitive soul continues a direction toward baroque-sounding folk, and with the help of bassist Peter Hughes, pianist Franklin Bruno, Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, cellist Erik Friedlander and vocal harmonies by the Bright Mountain Choir. Darnielle's plaintive lyrics range from the heartrending ("San Bernardino" and "New Zion") to the mystical ("Tianchi Lake" and "In the Craters of the Moon") and brim with mythical creatures and far-away lands.