The Mountain Goats, Anna Tivel

Admittedly, one of this writer’s favorite Texas albums is by a Californian – John Darnielle, the SoCal-raised songwriter behind prolific indie project the Mountain Goats. All Hail West Texas, that 2002 treasure trove of lo-fi guitar and character-driven storytelling, serves as an excellent entry point into the prolific group’s 22-album output. Vignettes of love and loss like “Blues in Dallas” and “Fall of the Star High School Running Back” show the group at their experimental best, with Darnielle’s nasal drawl pulling at the heartstrings of critics and precocious young music lovers alike. – Genevieve Wood