The Mountain Goats have climbed to even higher heights on their new album, Transcendental Youth.  While John Darnielle’s songs on the album brim with his usual brilliance, new ranges are explored and new sounds added to elevate and illumine the songs.  With its superb songwriting and embellished sounds/instrumentation, last year’s All Eternals Deck was one of the Best Albums of 2011.  But Transcendental Youth adds Matthew White’s transcendent horns to the mix for even more emotional hue and heft (just listen to tracks White Cedar, In Memory of Satan or Transcendental Youth for a feel). (White has ventured out solo after Fight the Big Bull, and will be the opener on The Mountain Goats‘ tour this fall.)  Transcendental Youth will be released next Tuesday (10/2) on Merge Records.  Until then, you can stream it at Rolling Stone. The band’s tour dates are below.

The Mountain Goats Tour:

10-06 Durham, NC – Reynolds Industries Theatre
10-09 Richmond, VA – The National *
10-10 Baltimore, MD – The Ottobar *
10-11 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts *
10-13 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10-14 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10-15 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
10-16 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
10-18 Boston – House of Blues *
10-19 Ithaca, NY – The Haunt *
10-20 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Concert Theatre *
10-22 Grand Rapids, MI – The Ladies Literary Club *
10-23 Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre *
10-24 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre *
10-26 Iowa City, IA – The Blue Moose TapHouse *
10-27 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre *
11-04 Huntington, WV – Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center (Mountain Stage)
11-29 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West *
12-01 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge *
12-03 Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom *
12-04 Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre *
12-05 Austin, TX – Emo’s East *
12-07 Sante Fe, NM – Santa Fe Brewing Co. *
12-08 Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom *
12-09 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress *
12-10 San Diego, CA – Irenic *
12-13 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
12-14 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *
12-16 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre *
12-17 Seattle, WA – The Showbox *

* with Matthew E. White