Bleed Out (Mountain Goats album)

Last updated
Bleed Out
The Mountain Goats - Bleed Out (2022) album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 19, 2022 (2022-08-19)
RecordedJanuary 2021 [1]
StudioBetty's
(Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US)
Genre Alternative rock [1]
Length47:22
Label Merge
Producer Alicia Bognanno
The Mountain Goats chronology
Dark in Here
(2021)
Bleed Out
(2022)
Jenny from Thebes
(2023)
Singles from Bleed Out
  1. "Training Montage"
    Released: June 1, 2022
  2. "Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome"
    Released: July 11, 2022
  3. "Mark on You"
    Released: August 2, 2022
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 74/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
And It Don't Stop A [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Paste 7.4/10 [7]
Pitchfork 7.6/10 [8]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Uncut 7/10 [10]

Bleed Out is the 21st studio album by indie folk band the Mountain Goats, released on August 19, 2022, through Merge Records. The album was written between December 2020 and January 2021, and recorded immediately following this at Betty's in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Bleed Out was produced by Alicia Bognanno of Bully. The album was preceded by the lead single "Training Montage". [11]

Contents

Background and recording

Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle took inspiration from action films from the 1960s to the 1980s that he watched at his home in North Carolina towards the end of 2020. He then began writing songs, and in January 2021, was joined by bandmates Peter Hughes, Jon Wurster, and Matt Douglas at Betty's Studios near his home in Chapel Hill, where recording was completed within a week. [12]

Music and lyrics

According to music critic Robert Christgau, Bleed Out relies more heavily on electric guitars than Darnielle's preceding work, while the logically "allusive" lyrics portray characters, "good [or] bad", who are generally "on some edge or other in a culture stretched near the breaking point by greed and violence that have become commonplaces. [4]

Track listing

Bleed Out track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Training Montage"4:28
2."Mark on You"2:21
3."Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome"2:30
4."Extraction Point"5:20
5."Bones Don't Rust"2:25
6."First Blood"3:06
7."Make You Suffer"3:29
8."Guys on Every Corner"3:13
9."Hostages"7:10
10."Need More Bandages"3:42
11."Incandescent Ruins"2:29
12."Bleed Out"7:09
Total length:47:22

Charts

Chart performance for Bleed Out
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [13] 73
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [14] 33
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [15] 22
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [16]
[17]
8
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [18]
[19]
37
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [20]
[21]
10
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [22]
[23]
9

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mountain Goats</span> American band

The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite the plural moniker. Although he remains the core member of the band, he has worked with a variety of collaborators over time, including bassist and vocalist Peter Hughes, drummer Jon Wurster, multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas, singer-songwriter Franklin Bruno, bassist and vocalist Rachel Ware, singer-songwriter/producer John Vanderslice, guitarist Kaki King, and multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Darnielle</span> American singer-songwriter

John Darnielle is an American musician and novelist best known as the primary, and originally sole, member of the American band the Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist. He has written three novels: Wolf in White Van (2014), Universal Harvester (2017), and Devil House (2022).

<i>The Sunset Tree</i> 2005 studio album by The Mountain Goats

The Sunset Tree is the ninth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on April 26, 2005 by 4AD. The album's songs revolve around the house John Darnielle grew up in and the people who lived there, including his mother, sister, stepfather, friends, and enemies.

<i>Tallahassee</i> (album) 2002 studio album by the Mountain Goats

Tallahassee is the seventh studio album by the Mountain Goats. It was the band's second new album to be released in 2002, and it marked quite a few changes. After releasing records on small record labels such as Shrimper, Ajax, and Emperor Jones, Tallahassee was the first Mountain Goats album to be released on a widely known independent label, the British alternative rock label 4AD. It was also the first Mountain Goats album to have an official single released, for the song "See America Right."

<i>We Shall All Be Healed</i> 2004 studio album by the Mountain Goats

We Shall All Be Healed is the eighth studio album by The Mountain Goats. The album focuses on semi-fictional accounts of band leader John Darnielle's years as a teenager, particularly his friends' and acquaintances' experiences in California and in Portland, Oregon, as methamphetamine addicts. As The Mountain Goats' official website puts it: "All of the songs on We Shall All Be Healed are based on people John used to know. Most of them are probably dead or in jail by now." Like Tallahassee, but unlike the rest of Darnielle's repertoire up to its release, We Shall All Be Healed was recorded with a full band in a recording studio, and produced by John Vanderslice, as opposed to The Mountain Goats' previous practice of recording at home on a boom box with, at most, one or two backup vocalists or a bassist. "Palmcorder Yajna", when played in concert, is often played with the backing of members of one or more of the opening acts on tour with The Mountain Goats. The song "Cotton" was featured in an episode of the television series Weeds.

<i>Get Lonely</i> 2006 studio album by the Mountain Goats

Get Lonely is the tenth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on August 22, 2006 on 4AD. It peaked at #193 on the Billboard top 200 album chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mountain Goats discography</span> Discography

The Mountain Goats are an American, Durham, North Carolina–based band, led by American singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Darnielle began recording in 1991, and is known for his highly literate lyrics and his lo-fi recording style. The Mountain Goats' albums have featured a constantly changing line-up of musicians, with Darnielle the only constant; when performing live, the band commonly comprises only Darnielle backed by Peter Hughes on bass guitar and Jon Wurster playing drums. Their discography consists of 22 studio albums, four compilation albums, two live albums, ten demo albums, 18 solo extended plays, six collaborative extended plays, and 24 singles.

<i>The Life of the World to Come</i> (album) 2009 studio album by the Mountain Goats

The Life of the World to Come is the twelfth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on October 6, 2009. The third track, "Genesis 3:23", was released as a free download via the band's website on July 28. The album peaked at #110 on the Billboard Top 200 albums on its chart debut.

<i>The Voyager</i> (Jenny Lewis album) 2014 studio album by Jenny Lewis

The Voyager is the second solo album and third overall by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis. The album was released on July 29, 2014, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was primarily produced by Ryan Adams at his studio, PAX AM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Thief</span> American indie rock band

Big Thief is an American indie folk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums).

<i>Goths</i> (album) 2017 album by the Mountain Goats

Goths is the sixteenth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on May 19, 2017, on Merge Records. The band has stated that Goths was inspired by an adolescence listening to The Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Joy Division, as well as hearing songs on the radio station KROQ-FM. The album also marked the band's first release as a four-piece outfit, having added touring member Matt Douglas (keyboards/woodwinds) as a permanent fixture of the band following the By, For, and About the Trees Southeastern Fall Tour that supported their previous record, Beat the Champ.

<i>Golden Hour</i> (Kacey Musgraves album) 2018 studio album by Kacey Musgraves

Golden Hour is the fourth studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves, released on March 30, 2018, through MCA Nashville. Musgraves co-wrote all 13 tracks and co-produced the album with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. A country pop record, Golden Hour also contains elements of disco, electropop, electronica, and yacht rock.

<i>The Tree of Forgiveness</i> 2018 studio album by John Prine

The Tree of Forgiveness is the eighteenth and final studio album by American country folk singer John Prine. The album was released on April 13, 2018. It is the last album released by Prine before his death on April 7, 2020.

<i>In League with Dragons</i> Album by The Mountain Goats

In League With Dragons is the seventeenth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on April 26, 2019, on Merge Records. Inspired by tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, the album has been described as a "partial rock opera" with influences from noir literature.

<i>Songs for Pierre Chuvin</i> 2020 studio album by the Mountain Goats

Songs for Pierre Chuvin is the eighteenth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on April 10, 2020. It is the first album since 2002's All Hail West Texas to feature only the band's frontman, John Darnielle, as well as the first since then to be recorded entirely on a boombox. The album was first released on cassette and digital, with CD and vinyl releases following in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty (Taylor Swift song)</span> 2020 single by Taylor Swift

"Betty" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). It was written by Swift and Joe Alwyn, and the former produced the track with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. MCA Nashville and Republic Records released the song to US country radio on August 17, 2020. "Betty" is an Americana-inspired song combining country, folk rock, and guitar pop. Its production consists of a harmonica, a pedal steel, guitars, and a key change after the bridge.

<i>Getting Into Knives</i> 2020 studio album by the Mountain Goats

Getting Into Knives is the nineteenth studio album by indie folk band the Mountain Goats, released on October 23, 2020, through Merge Records. The album was recorded in March 2020 over six days at Sam Philips Recording in Memphis, in the same room where psychobilly band the Cramps tracked their 1980 debut album Songs the Lord Taught Us. Getting Into Knives was produced, engineered, and mixed by Matt Ross-Spang, who previously engineered In League with Dragons (2019). In addition to being available on streaming and download services, the album also saw physical release on CD, vinyl, and cassette.

<i>Dark in Here</i> 2021 studio album by the Mountain Goats

Dark in Here is the 20th studio album by indie folk band the Mountain Goats, released June 25, 2021 through Merge Records. The album was recorded in March 2020, just one week after Getting Into Knives (2020), at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Dark in Here was produced by Matt Ross-Spang, who also produced Getting Into Knives and engineered In League with Dragons (2019). In addition to being available on streaming and download services, the album was released physically on CD and vinyl.

<i>Just Like That...</i> 2022 studio album by Bonnie Raitt

Just Like That... is the eighteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bonnie Raitt. Released on April 22, 2022, it is her first studio album since 2016's Dig In Deep. The album was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Americana Album in 2023. Its title track won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song and lead single "Made Up Mind" won Best Americana Performance.

<i>Jenny from Thebes</i> 2023 studio album by the Mountain Goats

Jenny from Thebes is the 22nd studio album by indie folk band the Mountain Goats, released on October 27, 2023, through Merge Records. The album serves as a sequel to the band's 2002 release All Hail West Texas, and is structured as a rock opera which tells the story of the character "Jenny". Lyricist John Darnielle describes the album as being about "the individual and society", and about Jenny's "southwestern ranch style house, the people for whom that house is a place of safety, and the west Texas town that is uncomfortable with its existence."

References

  1. 1 2 "Bleed Out". Bandcamp . Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  2. "Bleed Out by The Mountain Goats Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  3. Deming, Mark. "The Mountain Goats - Bleed Out Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (September 14, 2022). "Consumer Guide: September, 2022" . And It Don't Stop. Substack . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  5. Hann, Michael (August 19, 2022). "The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out review – a concept album that leads with bloody revenge". The Guardian . Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  6. McNair, James (September 2022). "The Mountain Goats – Bleed Out". Mojo . No. 346. p. 95.
  7. Danton, Eric R. (August 15, 2022). "The Mountain Goats Seek Revenge on Bleed Out". Paste . Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  8. Helman, Peter (August 23, 2022). "The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  9. Dalton, Nick (August 2022). "The Mountain Goats – Bleed Out". Record Collector . No. 534. p. 108.
  10. Anderson, Jason (September 2022). "The Mountain Goats – Bleed Out". Uncut . No. 304. pp. 28–29.
  11. Whitaker, Marisa (June 2, 2022). "Watch The Mountain Goats Warm-Up For A Big Show In 'Training Montage' Video". Spin . Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  12. Bloom, Madison (June 2, 2022). "The Mountain Goats Announce New Album Bleed Out, Share Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork . Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  14. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  15. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  16. "The Mountain Goats Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  17. "Americana/Folk Albums: Week of September 3, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  18. "The Mountain Goats Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  19. "Independent Albums: Week of September 3, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  20. "The Mountain Goats Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  21. "Top Album Sales: Week of September 3, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  22. "The Mountain Goats Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  23. "Vinyl Albums: Week of September 3, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.