"Heartsick" and "spritely" hardly seem like a natural combination. Untill you hear the latest from The Mountain Goats, that is. Our favorite gloomy dreamers just dropped a new single, "Cry for Judas," and they've given existential angst a radically new background beat.

The band definitely didn't skip the espresso the morning they recorded this latest track -- it's a fast mover that bursts through abrupt staccatos. There's a cheerful horn accompaniment that seems borderline ironic, as lead singer John Darnielle mourns "all is lost." When it comes to "melodic earnest pleading," Darnielle pretty much wrote the book. He sounds more mature on this track though, any traces of youthful self-pity have vanished. When it's over, you'll either cry happily or laugh sadly, or something else seemingly paradoxical.