We Shall All Be Healed

We Shall All Be Healed is the eighth studio album by The Mountain Goats. The album focuses on semi-fictional accounts of band leader John Darnielle's years as a teenager, particularly his friends' and acquaintances' experiences in California and in Portland, Oregon, as methamphetamine addicts. As The Mountain Goats' official website puts it: "All of the songs on We Shall All Be Healed are based on people John used to know. Most of them are probably dead or in jail by now." Like Tallahassee, but unlike the rest of Darnielle's repertoire up to its release, We Shall All Be Healed was recorded with a full band in a recording studio, and produced by John Vanderslice, as opposed to The Mountain Goats' previous practice of recording at home on a boom box with, at most, one or two backup vocalists or a bassist. "Palmcorder Yajna" (the primary single), when played in concert, is often played with the backing of members of one or more of the opening acts on tour with The Mountain Goats. The song "Cotton" was featured in an episode of the television series Weeds.

One of the provisional titles for the album was New Age Music Will Save Your Wretched Soul.

Reception
We Shall All Be Healed was generally liked by critics, but divisive in some circles regarding the different direction taken in the album's creation, with a new production style and a band playing alongside the typically solo John Darnielle. Other critics, however, felt that the change only added to the power of John Darnielle's voice, creating a 'brighter' sound and adding to the emotionality of Darnielle's lyricism.

Personnel

 * John Darnielle – vocals, guitar
 * John Vanderslice – production
 * Franklin Bruno – piano
 * Peter Hughes – bass
 * Nora Danielson – violin
 * Christopher McGuire – drums