Last Saturday at Club Euphoria, Art Brut brought its distinct brand of art punk-pop rock to Ithaca. Opening for the British band was another foreign group, albeit one far closer to home: the up-and-coming Tokyo Police Squad out of Canada. While playing loud enough for two groups and showing an equal amount of enthusiasm, the music was mangled by the sound system to the point of futility. The vocals and melody were lost to the cacophonous drums and the sheer volume of the piano synthesizer. In the end, it was more interesting to keep track of the guitarist’s travails than try to make out the lyrics or melody. In a set that lasted less than an hour, he managed to break three strings, drop his guitar and meet a variety of other misfortunes that I probably missed.

John Darnielle, the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and chief member of The Mountain Goats, has been a part of the indie rock scene for almost a decade. Consistently producing quality songs, mining the same territory as many of his contemporaries, he writes about disaffected youth, disillusionment, heartbreak and all the other mainstays of the genre. What sets him apart is an adept hand with metaphor, a knack for the right turn of phrase and a robust lyricism that brings new and pleasant surprises at every turn.