Drawing his 17th studio album’s title from the fourth-century Christian text the Nicene Creed, Mountain Goats singer-songwriter John Darnielle then uses Bible verses to launch into taut, unpretentious tunes that sound flawless (hard-strummed acoustic guitar, spare piano and strings, fat round drums) and scan smartly (finest non-hip-hop lyricist in American pop). Turn to the Good Book for context — it’s only the basis for most Western lit, people — but there’s more than enough here (fear, love, spray paint, etc.) for the most devout atheist.
