Full Force Galesburg
John Darnielle would prefer to see the music of his band, the Mountain Goats, classified as bi-fi, as opposed to lo-fi. He cites the fact that without modern technology, recording an album from one's bedroom would never be so easy. Sounds like a bit of overanalysis, but that's pretty much the ideology behind Darnielle and whomever of his friends the group consists of at this moment. Lyrics brim with explanations, literary references, philosophical allusions, and an all-around endearing nerdiness. The music of the Mountain Goats tends to be filled with the rapid strums of an acoustic guitar ... and little else.Full Force Galesburgis nothing short of brilliant. Darnielle is backed by Kiwi soundscapist Alastair Galbraith and Nothing Painted Blue's Peter Hughes on memorable songs of codependence and breakup.--Jason Verlinde