Get Lonely

The Sunset Tree had been the most personal album of John Darnielle's career, dropping the fictions of previous releases and stripping it down to the facts. So it shouldn't be a surprise that Get Lonely re-engages with the world of creative fiction. There was enough blood on the floor from the previous album for a lifetime. Darnielle built a vast catalog based on his hurried strumming and rushed vocal delivery, but here he sounds considerably mellowed out, taking the time to sing in a fragile falsetto for the beautiful and stripped-down "Wild Sage." Erik Friedlander's cello adds a mournful tone to various songs, while a vibraphone and keyboards further color the sound with beautiful restraint. "New Monster Avenue" adds a hint of that ominous Darnielle fear and loathing, while "Half Dead" lets the music cruise like a mellow Southern California folk-rock tune from the early '70s. On "If You See Light," drummer Corey Fogel breaks into a ramshackle rhythm as Salvation Army Band horns trample over the melody. It's a perfect mix of darkness and light.