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Review Summary: It’s like being body slammed in the ears. If we inventoried a list of things that don’t belong together, it’s likely that indie music and professional wrestling would sit in a comfortable position. John Darnielle and The Mountain Goats, however, seem to disagree. On the band’s 15th album “Beat the Champ,” Darnielle has tapped into his childhood love of large men grappling one another into submission (yes, typing that was weird). But, here we are, with one of the most peculiar indie albums of the year staring us in the eyes with a masked, sweat-drenched face. It’s inventive. It’s brave. Unfortunately, it’s just not particularly consistent. On their 15th album, The Mountain Goats seem more interested in riding the quirk of the album’s lyrics than penning compelling songs. “Beat the Champ,” oddly enough manages a knockout – but not how the band intended. Sporting an unfavorable ratio of misses to hits, the album goes all-in for a pile driver but winds up face planting the floor in spectacular fashion.
The Mountain Goats’ latest record suffers most from the wavering quality of its songwriting. Throughout 13 songs, “Beat the Champ” covers all the indie bases – starry-eyed balladry, up-tempo romps and mild-mannered acoustic dirges. It does these things competently, indifferently and stupidly – sometimes all at once. “Werewolf Gimmick” provides a much needed shot in the arm after a ponderous track, but even the rolling percussion and fiery acoustics can’t save the song from its uninspired sigh of a chorus. It’s the perfect example of buzzkill, captured in a mere two minutes and thirty-five seconds for your listening convenience. “Stabbed to Death Outside San Juan” is one of the record’s worst offenders. It’s not at all unreasonable to think one of the longest cuts on the album should spare the courtesy to end on some semblance of a climax. It doesn’t. The song lurches forward with sporadic string runs that punctuate and contrast Darnielle’s nasal yelps. This irritating game of back and forth, admittedly, does get louder, but louder alone doesn’t make for an exciting finish; it makes for a lazy one.
Lyrically, the album treads through stories of muscle-bound braggadocio and untimely demise. Over the album’s 13 tracks, it eventually becomes apparent that this thematic unity, while impressive in how well it’s maintained, reeks of gimmickry. Take “Foreign Object,” for instance, which documents the pre-fight insults wrestlers hurl with reckless abandon. Lines such as “sink my teeth into your scalp, take an icepick bite, save nothing for the cameras, play the angles all night” work well enough as lowbrow black humor, but aren’t exactly highlights of stunning lyricism. Really, it’s a shame; on previous releases the Mountain Goats’ lyrics, while not profound, did manage to conjure some semblance of relatability. Listeners could feel what the band felt. Here, connection is taken to the shed out back and buried. Sure, it’s easy to tell that it’s all meant to be tongue in cheek, but that doesn’t make mediocrity any easier to swallow.
This is The Mountain Goats performing their shallowest songs in years behind a fresh coat of lyrical paint to mask the deficiencies. The joke’s on the band, though, because that fresh coat only works to sabotage the record even further. If this sounds exciting, then by all means, jump right in. I hope that Mountain Goats fans enjoy it. I really do. But when you wind up with your face plastered on the floor, it won’t be anyone’s fault but your own. It’s bad enough that the band’s down there. One embarrassment is enough.; we don’t need any fans down there with them.
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Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off
Originally published here: http://georgiastatesignal.com/beat-the-champ-is-the-mountain-goats-worst-album-in-years/
Also published on my blog: http://tonescratch.com/2015/04/20/the-mountain-goats-faceplant-in-spectacular-fashion-on-beat-the-champ/
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good review (pos)
(edit: fixed)
| | | Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off
Fair enough, it's been removed. Thanks for the pos.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
This is a disappointing review, hopefully I disagree when I finally get around to properly listening to this. The few cuts I have heard off here have been great.
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I really enjoy this record. It's got some slow sections, I think you're right to point out its inconsistency; but, I don't think you give the highs of this album nearly enough credit. It's just classic Darnielle storytelling with some really superb melodies, at its best (see: The Legend of Chavo Guerrero and Heel Turn 2, two of my favorite Mountain Goats songs in recent memory). I think you're placing a little too much importance on the whole wrestling thing; in my opinion the "gimmicks" (or, you know, "themes") of Mountain Goats albums always take a back seat to Darnielle himself, which is why they're still so affecting.
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but, I don't think you give the highs of this album nearly enough credit.
I don't think this review gives the lows enough credit. They're certainly not MG canon, but they hold the album together well enough. It's a good 'un overall.
Good review overall, though.
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nvm. yeah I agree I mean I respect the anti-rating-inflation but come on this is at least good.
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no he's not
| | | Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off
Thanks for the replies everyone. I had a feeling not many here were likely to agree with me, but I didn't find much redeeming value here at all. I'm sure some will see the album's narrative as a positive, but my favorite Mountains Goats songs are ones that are relatable. That never really happens here. He's in this obscure niche of his own experience that doesn't translate at all, really. That's probably not going to be an issue for some people, but it was for me.
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I mean his albums have almost always had incredibly specific themes. I always thought people were drawn to his lyrics for their storytelling appeal rather than because they relate to being in a locked adolescent's treatment facility or being a teenager around meth heads or being beaten by your step father.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off
Yes, his storytelling is an asset, I agree. But on past albums he was able work specific instances of his life into broader narratives that worked on an emotional level. Transcendental Youth, for instance, was a much deeper album in that respect. Normally, I wouldn't give an album's lyrics this much importance in the overall grade, but the Mountain Goats instrumentals are usually the least interesting aspect of their music which leaves Darnielle to pick up the slack. I don't think he's done that with this record.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
This is a really well-written review! You might take the wrestling motif a bit too far in the review (maybe a further critique on the album?), but good stuff. Here's the thing, though. Relatability doesn't necessarily come from perfect analogy, like you watched wrestling too and so you can relate exactly to the lyrics. I think it's in the storytelling - he's creating a narrative that you can find yourself in, even if you've never actually lived that experience. So, like in "Chavo Guerrero" when Darnielle sings "I need justice in my life. Here it comes." you get this sudden and intimate picture of young John watching Chavo under the shadow of his stepfather and hoping in something. And then you can hope in something too, even in the midst of whatever darkness kind of wreaks havoc on your life.
And there's more autobiographical stuff here than at first glance, too. Like "Animal Mask" is all about the birth of a child and the raw, untested joy that brings. As Darnielle squeezes us into the lives of the wrestlers, we realize we probably have a lot more in common with them than we'll admit.
Anyways, I think this is criminally underrated so far, but good review nonetheless! It got me to write the most I've written on this site in years, and isn't that the goal of a review? To provoke?
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
album is absolutely atrocious. honestly if you dig on this you aren't allowed to pretend you hate mumford and sons anymore.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off
Saw a train station advertisement for the new Mumford & Sons. Amazing how big that band has become.
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eh potsy doesn't like this band at all so this is a rare instance in which everything he says is completely invalid
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
eh potsy doesn't like this band at all so this is a rare instance in which everything he says is completely invalid
don't speak for me. ive only heard 2 albums so there is no way i could have an informed opinion on the band as a whole.
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an informed opinion of the band as a whole will definitely affect how you receive this album though
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
no it wouldnt this album is shit fuck off
i might like their early lofi stuff tho
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"an informed opinion of the band as a whole will definitely affect how you receive this album though"
this is v true tbh
I could imagine myself absolutely hating this if I didn't appreciate where Darnielle was coming from musically and personally
I mean it's always true because ~context~ but it's especially true for this album
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
i mean you guys can rationalize it all you want but the fact of the matter is its a shitty album and no amount of mountain goats albums would change that but yeah keep pretending
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