John Darnielle is the main figure in the Mountain Goats, but on Heretic Pride he gets his songs across better by making himself a little less central. The originally California-based band's backstory is the stuff of indie legend. Throughout the 1990s, Darnielle recorded dozens of his literate, witty and dark songs onto a boombox, often with nothing more than his acoustic guitar and nasally shouts. Darnielle's output since 2002 has been more polished even as his lyrics have become more naked, and his latest album, Heretic Pride, brings the Mountain Goats' most forceful arrangements yet to another fine set of tuneful mini narratives. After 2006's depressive Get Lonely, Heretic Pride sounds "so proud to be alive" -- as Darnielle sings, echoing poet Carl Sandburg, on the ironically apocalyptic title track. Female backing vocals and electronic blips flesh out "Autoclave"; violins soar over pounding drums on "In the Craters on the Moon"; and "Sept 15 1983" tries out a light, reggae-like feel. Darnielle's eye for detail remains: "Some kid in a Marcus Allen jersey asks me for a cigarette / Companionship is where you find it," he sings over ragged electric guitar on "Lovecraft in Brooklyn." The backing does get a bit bland on the Wallflowers-esque "New Zion." Overall, though, Heretic Pride finds that letting the band drive gives the singer more freedom to tell his stories.

-- Marc Hogan