Mountain goats are mysterious creatures. Choosing a life spent perched upon the peaks of enormous piles of rock, these animals are known for their incredible balance and fortitude as they scramble through a dangerous landscape with a harsh set of conditions.
The Mountain Goats may not have much in common with its namesake when it comes to habitat – singer/songwriter John Darnielle hails from Bloomington, Ind., not known for its rocky outcroppings – but the band’s songs emulate these noble goats in striking a balance between the subdued and the manically energetic, and in exploring some of the harsher aspects of the human condition.
On the newest Mountain Goats album, “Heretic Pride,” listeners hear a more upbeat sound from Darnielle and company than on the band’s previous album, “Get Lonely.” While that last work gave listeners plenty of the slower, more melancholy Mountain Goats sound, fans of something with a little more snap to it may find “Heretic Pride” a breath of fresh air, with the occasional touch of springtime.

The album doesn’t hesitate to let listeners know the band is in for something a little peppier this time around, starting off with “Sax Rohmer #1,” which, for its sparse arrangement, typical of the Mountain Goats, gets things rolling at a speed that would have seemed impossible on “Get Lonely.” The track has raucous drums on the choruses and palm-muted guitar throughout, and Darnielle, sounding earnest as ever, sings in a tone inflected with hope.
The energy level on “Sax Rohmer #1” isn’t the only thing happening on this album, as it gives way into the mellow, string-based tune of “San Bernardino,” but overall this energy gives an accurate idea of the album to come.
Songs like “Lovecraft in Brooklyn” go so far as to convey this blast of sound through distorted guitar and percussive bass, not the norm for the album, or for the Mountain Goats. Darnielle completes this noisier aesthetic with a vocal that dances between composed and trembling, hushed and shouted, giving the song a kind of constant momentum shift between chorus and verse. The result is breathtaking.
Still, no album is perfect, and “Heretic Pride” is no exception. Given the change of pace from the last album, the sound the group achieves on these recordings may come as a bit of a shock. Even within this collection of songs there are holes to be patched, like the slightly misfit sound of “In the Craters on the Moon” or the way the album can’t always find its rhythm while transitioning between the faster and slower songs. Still, it’s a pleasurable listen, and these are songs that bear listening to over and over. It’s certainly a worthwhile pick-up for fans of the Mountain Goats’ previous work, and anyone who enjoys the album may want to look into the band’s upcoming performance Feb. 27 at the WOW Hall.