Albums So Lyrically Dense I Want to Take a Bite Out of Them

There’s something about an album so lyrically dense that makes me want to slice it like a hard cheese and eat it with grapes. Weird imagery aside (although that’s basically today’s theme), songwriters who let themselves play around with language, images, and narrative are my bread and butter. Here are three albums whose writers shoved as many words into them as possible to create rich masterpieces.

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Alopecia — WHY?

We’re starting strong with Alopecia by WHY?, a project formed by artist Yoni Wolf that has long been the cornerstone of rich imagery and lyricism. This was a defining album for WHY?, mostly because it featured the entire band in the studio for the first time. However, it is also a showcase of Wolf’s cleverly solid lyricism that weaves bizarre narratives and experiences. The opening track, “The Vowels Pt. 2,” starts with the banger of a line I’m not a ladies’ man I’m a land mine and continues in that vein. My favorite song from this album is probably “The Hollows,” which includes lines like This goes out to dirty-dancing, cursing, back-masking, back-slidden pastor’s kids, and I got them shaky gums and a couple of loose tooths.

The King is Dead — The Decemberists

The Decemberists have made plenty of lyrically dense albums, and The King is Dead is a great example of their work. This album is influenced by rustic Americana-style imagery and instrumentals, and the opening track, “Don’t Carry It All,” sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song opens with the lines, Here we come to a turning of the season / Witness to the arc toward the sun / The neighbor’s blessed burden within reason / Becomes a burden borne of all and one. Additionally, through songs like “Rox in the Box,” “Calamity Song,” and “June Hymn,” The Decemberists create an ever-shifting narrative of disasters, calamities, and resurrections.

The Sunset Tree — The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats have long been purveyors of lyrically dense albums, especially since every album John Darnielle has ever written has been some form of concept. There are around 20 albums to choose from, but The Sunset Tree is one of my favorites. It features the wildly popular tracks “Up the Wolves” and “This Year,” the latter of which is a staple at live shows. This album opens with the song “You Or Your Memory,” which starts with the lines I checked into a bargain-priced room on La Cienega / Gazed out through the curtains at the parking lot / Walked down to the corner store just before nightfall in my bare feet / Black tarry asphalt soft and hot. Image-rich and lyrically dense, John Darnielle’s work as a whole provides countless examples.

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