John Darneille, a novelist and leader of the Mountain Goats is a story teller. The new album “Jenny From Thebes” is a full blown rock opera about a character first introduced on a 2002 album. It features guest appearences from Alicia Bognano of Bully, Kathy Valentine of the Go Gos and Matt Nathanson.

The ambitious character sketches revolving around Jenny continues the Mountain Goat’s dramatic musical emotionalism but in a much more focused way.  Jenny keeps a safe house in West Texas, where anyone who needs it can have a place to crash. They take care of each other until they’re ready to move on.

It’s not necessary to be familiar with the album this is a sequel to as Darneille’s deadpan vocals draw in the listener. The subdued instrumentation is typical to previous Mountain Goats albums and the rock opera quality never distracts from the fact that all these songs are held together by one character.

“Jenny from Thebes” is a continuation of Jenny's story and as she leaves behind the town where we first met her and rides her motorcycle into the unknown, the Mountain Goats' unique storytelling provides an experience few bands can hope to achieve.

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