Beat the Champ
by The Mountain Goats
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Apr 7, 2015
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
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  1. Punknews.org (Staff)
    May 6, 2015
    90
    This is another great Mountain Goats album. If you are a fan you probably have this already but if not, got get it asap. If you’re unfamiliar, this is as good a place as his masterwork The Sunset Tree to start, as this is like the sequel, but coming from a seemingly lighthearted place with the wrestling theme.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Apr 7, 2015
    88
    Throughout Beat the Champ, Darnielle and his band exude confidence and a sense of purpose.
  3. Pretty Much Amazing
    Apr 7, 2015
    83
    Beat the Champ, while it ain’t Songs in the Key of Life, keeps up the move toward eclectic instrumental color.
  5. Dusted Magazine
    Aug 5, 2015
    80
    One of the best Mountain Goats records.
  6. Mojo
    Apr 22, 2015
    80
    Witty, tender pieces to charm even those for who wrestling means Shirley Crabtree. [May 2015, p.100]
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  7. Magnet
    Apr 15, 2015
    80
    A set of first-person songs that are ultimately no less earnest or affecting than those on the aforementioned break-up record, albeit more given to colorful insider jargon and particularly inventive physical violence. [No. 119, p.54]
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  8. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 13, 2015
    80
    A fun, but deeply human, record.
  9. AllMusic
    Apr 13, 2015
    80
    You don't have to care about wrestling to be knocked out by Beat the Champ, but Darnielle makes it clear that these stories mean something real to him, and this is a fascinating portrait not of who wins or loses, but those who play the game.
  10. Spin
    Apr 9, 2015
    80
    As music alone, the band is looser and more flexible than ever, deploying Superchunk’s Jon Wurster for accents and subtleties outside of his main band’s dynamic range, and punching out the gate with highlights as varied as the Louisiana ragtime of “Southwestern Territory” and the punked-up “Choked Out.”
  11. PopMatters
    Apr 8, 2015
    80
    In looking through this world, the Mountain Goats have made one of their best albums of the last decade, and they’ve done so knowing that while sometimes life is bigger than the squared circle, sometimes that ring is enough.
  12. Blurt Magazine
    Apr 7, 2015
    80
    Despite the unlikely set-up, there’s a classic archetypical feel to the set as a whole.
  13. Exclaim
    Apr 6, 2015
    80
    Yet another highlight in a career overflowing with them.
  14. Uncut
    Apr 3, 2015
    80
    John Darnielle shares Haines' nostalgic affection for the stars of Martial pantomime, and deploys his deadpan indie rock and trademark wordiness to fine effect. [May 2015, p.78]
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  15. The Line of Best Fit
    Apr 3, 2015
    80
    Theatrical, impassioned, and occasionally heartbreaking, Beat The Champ distills the very essence of classic Mountain Goats into another compelling album.
  16. Paste Magazine
    Apr 8, 2015
    75
    It’s resulted in a record that’s not as universal as Darnielle’s best work, but also not as personal. It’s an artistic success as a literary exercise.
  17. The A.V. Club
    Apr 7, 2015
    75
    Even though the album isn’t a total triumph, it’s well stocked with new Mountain Goats classics.
  18. Consequence
    Apr 3, 2015
    75
    Beat the Champ is strongest when he follows wrestling’s narratives beyond the ring.
  19. No Ripcord
    Apr 21, 2015
    70
    All in all, this isn't a bad direction to go after fifteen studio albums and countless other releases (600 songs!) into a career, as Darnielle again proves that his excessive specificity as a storyteller doesn't mean he can't tell us something about our own lives.
  20. Rolling Stone
    Apr 7, 2015
    70
    The music is fantastically rangy, with discordant strings and jazz piano nuzzling punk-busker guitar.
  21. Alternative Press
    Apr 3, 2015
    70
    Beat The Champ takes you on a walloping emotional journey that proves great songwriting can compliment any subject matter. [May 2015, p.98]
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  22. Pitchfork
    Apr 6, 2015
    66
    The rest of the record isn’t as brassy as "Foreign Object", an obvious crowd-pleaser, but it’s occasionally as bold.
  23. Under The Radar
    Apr 8, 2015
    65
    Though an album entirely dedicated-at least superficially-to wrestling easily has the potential to alienate listeners uninterested in the sport, under Darnielle's guidance, Beat the Champ is so much more.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Scottview
    Apr 19, 2015
    9
    Great album. Not quite everything's a winner, but it's highlights are undeniable. This album has great song writing that goes hand in handGreat album. Not quite everything's a winner, but it's highlights are undeniable. This album has great song writing that goes hand in hand with suitably crisp and warm instrumentals to successfully create a variety of different and involving soundscapes.

    Unless you're bitter from having been stabbed in the eye with a foreign object, it's an easy recommendation.    … Full Review »
  2. wl8291
    Aug 7, 2015
    4
    Let me begin by saying that I think our good ol' Johnny D is one of the best lyricists of our generation... and, that being said, I really andLet me begin by saying that I think our good ol' Johnny D is one of the best lyricists of our generation... and, that being said, I really and truly wanted to fall in love with this album, it's always so exciting when you learn there is a new Mountain Goats album to fall into... but, as fairest a shot I gave this album, I can't say that this one worked for me... while I typically think his music pales in comparison to his lyrics, I would say that this album greatly differs, as the music is only slightly more thoughtful than the seemingly more gratuitous words Mr. Darnielle decides to use this time...… Full Review »
  3. ElroyRosenberg
    Jun 13, 2015
    8
    This album, whilst perhaps not the most exciting or rivetingly-experimental album out there, has well-written songs aplenty. The songs rumbleThis album, whilst perhaps not the most exciting or rivetingly-experimental album out there, has well-written songs aplenty. The songs rumble along nicely, brilliantly written and performed, and you don't have to think too much about them. Also, don't underestimate how difficult it is to write lyrics this good when your subject matter is limited to wrestling.… Full Review »
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