Andy (Probably Hasn't) Got Swine Flu, and Varsity Bits

That cough got worse. I have over-the-counter meds and bedrest now. It's an akward situation cause, when I leave the house, I feel terrible and start hacking up, but when I'm at home I feel fine like I'm wasting my time moping around. So I set off to the lab and the cycle renews. I hate diseases

Pandemic flu? Fuck that noise! They don't give tamiflu unless my fever reaches some insane temperature, so i'd better man up.

On a better note, that Mountain goats article got published in Varsity today. So je suis plus bon even if i'm actually not. Check it out in print, or just read on

The Life of the World To Come- The Mountain Goats (4AD)

 

With every Mountain Goats release there’s an unshakable fear that this could be the long overdue “difficult third”. Their seventeenth full-length, a concept album loosely based around the books of the Bible, is anything but. Frontman John Darnielle evokes sincerity and dashed optimism on this solid, if slightly slow burning, record. There’s almost a hint of sarcasm in “Romans 10:9″ as he echoes the words of St. Paul: “if you believe in your heart and confess with your lips, surely you will be saved one day...” The implied “...yeah right” is left unsung. Although “The Life...” is beautifully crafted, it lacks the urgency of “Heretic Heart” or the tenderness of “The Sunset Tree”. It does, however, avoid the major pitfall of the concept album- the tracks are good enough to stand up against Darnielle’s best songwriting. Is this the best Mountain Goats album? No. Is it in the top five? Yes. 

4 stars