The Mountain Goats Announce New Album 'Jenny From Thebes' With Lead Single Clean Slate
Thursday, 20 July 2023
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Jackie Lee Young Photography
The Mountain Goats have announced a new album.
'Jenny From Thebes' serves as a sequel to 2002's 'All Hail West Texas' and will arrive on October 27 via Merge. It features contributions from Bully's Alicia Bognanno on guitar, and Matt Douglas on horns and string arrangements. Backing vocals come courtesy of Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's and Matt Nathanson.
As a preview, the band have shared the record's lead single, Clean Slate, a folk-rock offering rich with strings, horns and piano, over which John Darnielle weaves storytelling lyrics. He said:
"We’re proud to reveal Clean Slate, the first song from our new album, 'Jenny from Thebes'. People like to hedge bets by using terms like ‘concept album’ but let’s be clear, this is a rock opera about a woman named Jenny, who buys a Kawasaki to ride as far away as she can from a town she’s been carrying on her shoulders too long.
"Clean Slate sets the scene: this is the house Jenny rents; these are the people who crash there when they need a place to stay; this is where she’s at in the process of becoming someone other than the keyholder she’s been. Produced by Trina Shoemaker! Played by the Mountain Goats at the Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Respect to the real pirates of west Texas, still out there on the roads: may you remain one step ahead forever!"
Their last LP came in the form of 2022's 'Bleed Out', which was inspired by action films of the 1960s, '70s and '80s.
The band have US dates lined up for August and September, and new shows in Texas confirmed for October. Tickets for the new fall dates go on general sale at 10am local time on Friday (July 21).
'Jenny From Thebes' tracklist:
1. Clean Slate
2. Ground Level
3. Only One Way
4. Fresh Tattoo
5. Cleaning Crew
6. Murder At The 18th St. Garage
7. From The Nebraska Plant
8. Same As Cash
9. Water Tower
10. Jenny III
11. Going To Dallas
12. Great Pirates
The Mountain Goats Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Fri August 04 2023 - NEW YORK New York - Rooftop At Pier 17 (USA)
Sat August 05 2023 - BOSTON Massachusetts - House of Blues Boston (USA)
Tue August 08 2023 - SEATTLE Washington - Woodland Park Zoo (USA)
Wed August 09 2023 - PORTLAND Oregon - Pioneer Courthouse Square (USA)
Mon October 02 2023 - SOLANA BEACH California - Belly Up Tavern (USA)
Tue October 03 2023 - LOS ANGELES California - Belasco (USA)
Thu October 05 2023 - SAN FRANCISCO California - August Hall (USA)
Fri October 06 2023 - SAN FANCISCO California - August Hall (USA)
Sat October 07 2023 - SACRAMENTO California - Ace of Spades (USA)
Mon October 09 2023 - SPOKANE Washington - Fox Theater Spokane (USA)
Tue October 10 2023 - BOISE Idaho - Knitting Factory Boise (USA)
Wed October 11 2023 - BOZEMAN Montana - Elm Bozeman (USA)
Fri October 13 2023 - BOULDER Colorado - Fox Theatre Boulder (USA)
Sat October 14 2023 - ENGLEWOOD Colorado - Gothic Theatre (USA) Fri October 27 2023 - LUBBOCK Texas - Cactus Theatre (USA)
Sat October 28 2023 - DALLAS Texas - Longhorn Ballroom (USA)
Sun October 29 2023 - HOUSTON Texas - Heights Theatre (USA)
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