By Audrey Elwood, Campus News Editor

The Mountain Goats dropped their 23rd album “Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan” (TTFAPB), giving the good ole Mountain Goats sound with a little jazzy twist. 

If you were on the cosplay side of TikTok in 2021, you are probably familiar with the Mountain Goats’ “No Children.” Maybe your introduction to the band was through your uncle who has vinyl records. Either way, they have been lurking in the indie scene since 1991, despite new mainstream success. The new album was the first in 23 years without guitarist Peter Hughes, who left the band in 2024. 

TTFAPB was described by the band to be a “full-on musical.” It is a narrative album about a shipwreck, in which only three survive and the titular character Peter Balkan is abandoned and slowly goes blind. The vibe is really mellow, like coffee shop music. 

The album contains a jumpscare that not even the most avid fan could predict: a feature from Lin-Manuel Miranda. Yes, Alexander Hamilton himself is on “Cold as Night.” I thought I was going into a caffeine induced psychosis when I heard his voice. 

Dare I say it kind of fits. Miranda’s classically whiny vocals complement frontman John Darinelle’s vocals fabulously. The vocalists are still distinct, offering a contrast that makes the song distinct from the rest of the album that can fade into itself. 

The album is classic folk punk, however there are jazz elements present throughout the album. One of my favorite usages is on “The Lady from Shanghai 2,” with shakers and piano that feels like a smoky bar. 

Fitting with the lyrics, which are about a man who used the sea to escape from his problems. The lyrics, “Everything that sinks will float,” symbolizes the resilience of the men, despite their horrific situation. 

While it is a narrative album, there is a theme of longing for the west coast. This makes sense for the band, who are originally from Claremont, California, but now reside in Durham, North Carolina. 

The soldiers long for the coast and life as it was, knowing it will never be the same again. Or maybe this is just a projection, but the beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

“Rocks in my Pockets,” is the song I keep reaching for, as this song is about a Adam’s suicide à la Virginia Woolf. It talks about holding on to what your old life, while knowing you can never go back. 

The song acts as a soliloquy for Adam, one of the survivors, with lines such as, “You were never going to make it / I felt like you knew / But at least you’ll have someone / For some of us that won’t be true.” With classic stripped down vocals and guitar, there is a sense of intimacy. Listeners hear what is essentially the suicide note for Adam, in a way that is so personal. The triangle is also a nice touch.

While I would never claim to have listened to the entirety of the Mountain Goats discography, I can say this one stands out. 

The narrative aspect of the album adds a level of continuity. You care about the characters in the story as you have 50 minutes to get to know them. It really is an album you need to sit down and digest and it makes the listener feel in touch with the sea.

 After listening, there is a craving for the wild waves of my hometown, or even just the wild waves of the Ohio River. An album that makes you feel in touch with nature is a tall feat, but the Mountain Goats pull it off on TTFAPB.