General Article name: All Hail West Texas
Genre: Rock englischsprachig Product type: LP (Vinyl) Label: MERGE Number of tracks: 21 Tracklist LP - 1 1. The Mountain Goats - Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton 2. The Mountain Goats - Fall of the Star High School Running Back 3. The Mountain Goats - Color in Your Cheeks 4. The Mountain Goats - Jenny 5. The Mountain Goats - Fault Lines 6. The Mountain Goats - Balance 7. The Mountain Goats - Pink and Blue 8. The Mountain Goats - Riches and Wonders 9. The Mountain Goats - Mess Inside 10. The Mountain Goats - Jeff Davis County Blues 11. The Mountain Goats - Distant Stations 12. The Mountain Goats - Blues in Dallas 13. The Mountain Goats - Source Decay 14. The Mountain Goats - Absolute Lithops Effect 15. The Mountain Goats - Hardpan Song 16. The Mountain Goats - Answering the Phone 17. The Mountain Goats - Indonesia 18. The Mountain Goats - Midland 19. The Mountain Goats - Jenny 20. The Mountain Goats - Tape Travel Is Lonely 21. The Mountain Goats - Waco   Description Description

Complex, awe-inspiring, and fresh with fretwork excitement, John Darnielle steps up to the mike with guitar in hand, revealing sentimental and emotionally charged acoustic gems. Leader of the Mountain Goats, Darnielle didn't hide any sense of creativity while composing the material for this record. All Hail West Texas has juicy bits and pieces of melodic tapestry, with a forceful percussive background statement keeping the music afloat. Perhaps what most often reveal themselves during this lush and stylistically complex endeavor are the mature and naturally contemplative lyrics that Darnielle has been able to put together in his songs. Highlights such as "Riches and Wonders" and "Distant Stations" jump at the chance to grab the listener. Other tunes that break through indie-level barriers are the eclectic "Fall of the Star High School Running Back" and the original "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton." The textured feel of the variety of sounds and notes created by the Mountain Goats is appealing and gripping, a foray into sounds chilling and pristine. The delivery of the lyrics is wondrous and breathtaking during certain moments. The band's instrumental ability possesses dexterous flair, and the result is the charm of the record's immediacy and absorbing emotional impact. The tragic weakness of All Hail West Texas is perhaps its need for persistent listening in order to understand the direction of the music. However, maybe that just proves to be the magic key, and the route to further appreciation of this particular period of the Mountain Goats' music. ~ Shawn M. Haney

Shawn M. Haney

Contributors Artist: The Mountain Goats Record Label: Merge