1 Samuel 15:23, Hebrew 11:40, Deuteronomy…  I don’t remember perusing the contemporary Christian music aisle at the record store.  In fact, I don’t even think my local record store has a CCM aisle.  What’s that you say, no mistake was made, this is indeed Mountain Goat’s sixteenth studio album The Life of the World to Come. At the risk of sounding ever-so-cliché, you can’t judge a book by its cover—even if that cover is peppered with Bible verses.

Album opener, “1 Samuel 15:23” is a dark moody number about a crystal healer that never quite reaches its full potential, leaving the listener a bit unsatisfied—although, this may very well be the intention as it does create a massive amount of tension that matches the foreboding vibe.  The next track is the most aggressive on the album and wouldn’t feel any less at home on Heretic Pride.

“Genesis 3:23” is a reminder of why I admire Darnielle as a storyteller.  In the song he breaks into his old home to see how the new owners are living in it.  It’s an idea everyone has thought about.  But Darnielle paints such a beautiful picture of this concept.

If heartbreak is your aim, cycle to track nine, “Matthew 25:21”.  In this autobiographical acoustic track, Darnielle illustrates a visit to a loved one who is dying of cancer.  The song is littered with tremendous prose.  “They hook you up/to a Fentanyl drip/to mitigate the pain a little bit”.  (This may also very well be the most heartrending song in all of Mountain Goat’s sixteen album history.)

The Life of the World to Come is certainly not a spiritual or religious album, despite the inclination some may have due to obvious reasoning.  But what The Life of the World to Come is, is multifaceted and the product of an undeniably gifted songwriter who no doubt, has much more to offer the world.