The Mountain Goats – Cry For Judas (Tomlab)

The latest single ‘Cry For Judas’ from California band The Mountain Goats and is due for release via Tomlab it is taken from their latest album Transcendental Youth which is available now. Having gone through a number of changes, fifteen previous members / collaborators so far, the band currently are John Darnielle (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Peter Hughes (bass, backing vocals), and Jon Wurster (drums). Hopefully this line up will last a little longer as they finally seem to have found that special chemistry so much lacking in the past.

The instruments swing along unrepentantly cheerful as do the vocals. The happy go lucky sound is furthered by the use of brass horns. Once you hear the lyrics any thought of ‘cheerful’ or ‘happy’ disappear as the song is actually about some pretty dark and sinister stuff dealing mainly with death, rage, loss, and all matter of negative things. The video plays to this theme too attempting to show the lie of the supposedly perfect happy family. It starts with a party by a lake and ends with the bludgeoning of a man, along the way we see young love, devil worship, and fairly cute rat. 8/10

Helen Todner