David Berman, formally of Silver Jews fame, released his first album in 11 years in July of 2019 under the name Purple Mountains. This record, also titled “Purple Mountains,” takes a bit of a departure from his work under Silver Jews, in that while the lyricism is surely still poetic and wrought with meaning, it feels way more personal and way more depressive.
“That’s Just The Way That I Feel” kicks the album off in a jarring manner, with one of the very first lines of the song being “Things have not been going well / This time I think I finally f—-d myself.” This pessimistic and dejected attitude continues through the next two tracks, all of which have a beautiful country/indie rock sound that melds perfectly with the depressive lyricism.
“I Loved Being My Mother’s Son” comes in on the latter-half of the album, having been the first song made for the album. In it, Berman sings about his mother who had passed away in 2016, reminiscing on the time he spent with her.
Immediately following is the song “Nights That Won’t Happen,” arguably the saddest song on the album. In it, Berman sings about how “the dead know what they’re doing when they leave this world behind,” with the hook lamenting time that won’t ever be spent with loved ones again now that they’re gone, a stark contrast to his usual witty self.
Berman would take his own life months after the album’s release, having been dealing with mounting debt and separation from his wife of almost 20 years. “Purple Mountains” serves as a brutally honest look into Berman’s struggles through life and his difficulties coping with them, and listening to it with the knowledge of his passing makes the whole album a difficult listen. But nevertheless, it is beautiful and harrowing.
Rating: 10/10