"Heretic Pride" by Mountain Goats (4AD) - Out now

Singing through his nose, John Darnielle - the voice behind The Mountain Goats - sounds like an extra from "Revenge of the Nerds." Not that it's necessarily a bad thing.

Sometimes talking, sometimes singing, Darnielle has carved out a niche much the same as another sing-talker, the ultra-gruff Tom Waits, just on another spectrum. Kind of a serious take on Weird Al Yankovic.

Beware, though, if you try to look past the annoying vocals, you're bound to miss something. In Darnielle's case, his vocals expose weakness and suffering but also a wad of strength. Instead of being geeky, he's sweet and strong, yet disarming. Just don't assume he ever comes across as innocent.

He spins sad yarns of tremendous loss and destructive determination. "Heretic Pride" is alternately beautiful and intense. The furious and sprawling "Lovecraft in Brooklyn" stands in stark contrast to the sweet, repentant "So Desperate."

It's understandable if listeners are left scratching their heads trying to understand the musings of the immensely literary Darnielle - his songs name Sax Rohmer of Dr. Fu Manchu fame and the aforementioned H.P. Lovecraft, an American horror writer.

Perusing his lyrics can be as frustrating as reading Dickenson. Luckily, Darnielle recognizes this, and in anticipation of the album's release, he gave his loyal listeners a little help. It may be cheating, but it's fun to relisten once you know what the song's actually about.

Those "I get it!" moments are what make poetry worth reading, and the same is true with Mountain Goats.

Download this track now: "San Bernardino"