Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan is a concept album about being stranded on a desert island, three people trying to survive against all the odds, the trio are Peter Balkan, Adam and an unnamed narrator the story unfolding on The Mountain Goats 23rd studio album, the first one I've heard. I have been seriously missing out it seems. The trio are still John Darnielle, Matt Douglas, and Jon Wurster who have been joined by special guests including Tommy Stinson, Mikaela Davis, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Cameron Ralston. The album was recorded at Dreamland Studios in Hudson, New York.
Tickets are already on sale for the bands European tour this autumn 2026 Tour Dates: 5th October Helsinki, Finland - Kuudes Linja, 7th October, Stockholm, Sweden-Nalen, 8th October, Oslo, Norway - Vulkan Arena, 10th October, Copenhagen, Denmark-Pumpehuset, 11th Oct Berlin, DE-Metropol, 13th October, Ghent, Belgium - De Centrale,14th October, Utrecht, Netherlands-Tivoli Vredenberg, 16th October, Manchester, UK - Albert Hall, 18th October Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street, 19th October, Glasgow, UK - Barrowland Ballroom, 21st October, London, UK - Hackney Church, 23rd October, Bristol, UK - Bristol Beacon.
The album opens with Armies Of The Lord with ruminative piano and atmospherics, this fragile song hoping to find peace in this war-torn world, hoping the Armies Of The Lord will be the saviour against the slightly off-centre drum pattern, the strings rise decorating this intriguing tale.
Broken To Begin With has a soul funk edge for the stranded trio on some lost desert island in the middle of an ocean, they are worried they will be accused of breaking things that were already dilapidated when they arrived, who will save them now.
Cold At Night has a math chamber pop feel for the travails they find themselves living through, arriving on the inhospitable island trying to find shelter and keep warm at night. Dawn Of Revelation sees them huddled round the campfire at dawn, having reveries of times gone by, before they were stranded, indie rock riff builds and builds into a huge maelstrom of guitars drawing the driftwood towards them.
Fishing Boat can be seen on the horizon, but they can't make themselves be seen in return, gently pulsing rhythm for this slowly evolving tale, that makes clear they were actually on the fishing boat that sank, the only three survivors, strings shimmer and horns feel somewhat downcast.
Lady From Shanghai 2 isn't a movie sequel, but a sequel to the band's earlier song Lady From Shanghai this a slight freak folk feel, looking for where those dreams come from, with the strings swelling gently, floating across shimmering waves, detailed production makes this seem like a mini operetta.
Overture a classical overture apart from the drum part, that has a slight dance edge to it, this is beautifully bucolic strings and harp flourishes with the piano adding feeling. Peru is about dreaming of flowers that one of them drew many years ago on a mountain in Peru, closely observed and rather down at heart, wistfully hoping for rescue.
Rocks In My Pockets is slow acoustic reflections on what you feel like will be your final days, starvation and Privations are becoming all too much, when you go, just stick rocks in your pockets to make sure you sink below the waves, wistful hopes of a last-minute reprieve and saviour appearing on the far horizon.
The title song Through This Fire, forty five days into being stranded, hunger and death closing in, they haven't managed to catch any crabs or fish, what will your last 7 days starving to death look like, visions of Lazarus style salvation, epiphanies from within a mind and body slowly shutting down, looking through the fire at you one last time, hushed vibes carry you away.
Your Bandage is something they will never stop reapplying in your dying days, dreaming of the bounties of the sea so close yet so far gone, slower and slower everything becomes, lower strings, sparser drums, minimalistic piano, a last transition.
The story ends with Last Glow the fire is going out, dying embers, memorial organ with strings, last moments, the narrator will be the only one left, dreaming of being saved and getting home someday, one last hope, you still have your glow with so few breaths left for Captain Peter Balkan.
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