The Mountain Goats have announced their new album, Jenny from Thebes. Billed as the sequel to 2002’s All Hail West Texas, it’s out on October 27th via Merge Records and includes the lead single, “Clean Slate.” Stream the track below.
According to a press release, Jenny from Thebes is “a story about the individual and society, about safety and shelter and those who choose to provide care when nobody else will.” Of course, that individual is Jenny, who longtime Mountain Goats fans will recognize from the All Hail West Texas cut bearing her name as well as “Straight Six” from Jam Eater Blues and “Night Light,” a track that appears on side two of Transcendental Youth.
Produced by Grammy-winner Trina Shoemaker, the 12-track project features contributions from Bully’s Alicia Bognanno (guitar) and Matt Douglas (horn and string arrangements). Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s and Matt Nathanson also provide backing vocals.
As John Darnielle explains in a statement, “Clean Slate” sets the stage for the story of Jenny. “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,” he said. “‘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.”
Jenny from Thebes follows last year’s Bleed Out, which Darnielle discussed in an interview with Consequence. In a separate sitdown, he opened up about the experience of making his acting debut in Rian Johnson’s Poker Face. In support of the new album, The Mountain Goats will embark on a summer and fall tour. See the dates below, and grab your tickets here.
Jenny from Thebes Artwork:
Jenny from Thebes Tracklist:
01. Clean Slate
02. Ground Level
03. Only One Way
04. Fresh Tattoo
05. Cleaning Crew
06. Murder at the 18th St. Garage
07. From the Nebraska Plant
08. Same as Cash
09. Water Tower
10. Jenny III
11. Going to Dallas
12. Great Pirates
The Mountain Goats 2023 Tour Dates:
08/04 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
08/05 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues ^
08/08 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo #
08/09 – Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square #
10/02 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern %
10/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco %
10/05 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall %
10/06 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall %
10/07 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades %
10/09 – Spokane, WA @ Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox %
10/10 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory %
10/11 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM %
10/13 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre %
10/14 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre %
10/27 – Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Theater %
10/28 – Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom %
10/29 – Houston, TX @ Heights Theater %
* = w/ Pool Kids
^ = w/ Ryley Walker
# = w/ Blitzen Trapper
% = w/ Mikaela Davis