The Mountain Goats - "Ezekiel 7 & the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"

The Mountains Goats (John Darnielle and whatever musicians he decides to surround himself with) are back again. Away for what seems like a long time (really only about a 16 months) considering their proficiency, Darnielle has released The Life of the World to Come. Once again, Darnielle's excellence as a songwriter is put on displayed but whereas the previous effort Heretic Pride went expanded on it's instrumentations, this release keeps things fairly stripped down with a newly found emphasis on the piano. Although each track carries the title of a biblical verse, the only thing remotely biblical about the album is it's exploration of themes and not the book itself. Take this single/video for example; as directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), the video focuses on nothing but Darnielle and his piano for a single take of the album's closing track. Seemingly alone with nothing but an always moving camera, the video haunts both visually as well as musically. Overall, the track is an excellent closer to yet another great album from one of music's supreme songwriters.