Beat The Champ

The best album about the semi-professional Texan wrestling circuit you've ever heard!

A quintessential Mountain Goats album, and a great introduction for the new listener as well. From 2015, and the 15th studio album of the group, "Beat the Champ" is on its surface about professional wrestling, yes, but is in reality more about mortality and liminal spaces before it. With standout tracks like "Southwestern Territory," "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero," and "Heel Turn 2," songwriter John Darnielle and company produce another success, orchestrated with jaunty percussion, piano, guitar, and saxophone.