Cry for Judas album art

Cry for Judas

The Mountain Goats
Transcendental Youth (2012)
Moderate 142 BPM
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Song DNA

Dynamic Range7/10
Sudden Changesmild
Texturelayered
Predictabilitymedium
Vocal Styledynamic vocals
Notes: Catchy indie rock with bright horn sections over acoustic guitar and driving rhythm, creating an uplifting yet tense feel; lyrics evoke emotional turmoil but delivered with hopeful energy.

Misophonia Triggers

Mouth Soundsnone
Percussive Clicksnone
Breathing Soundsnone
Repetitive Micro-soundsnone

An upbeat indie rock track about personal shame, learning from mistakes, and naive hope amid loss, featuring horns and Darnielle's intense vocals.

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Hear it the way it was made

The right gear changes everything.

Moods: emotional, reflective, uplifting

Traditions: indie rock

How this song sits on each sensory axis

A dynamic range of 7/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.

Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.

Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.

Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.

Vocal style: dynamic vocals.

Where this sits in The Mountain Goats's catalog

We have 19 songs from The Mountain Goats in the library. Of those, 6 are rated Safe, 10 Moderate, and 3 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 7/10 sits above the artist average of 5.4, making it the #4 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.

Other tracks from Transcendental Youth

We have 2 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.

2012 context

Released in 2012. We have 261 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2010s.

Explore by mood and tradition

Moods
emotional · 2189reflective · 5792uplifting · 1654
Traditions
indie rock · 1109

Why this rating

We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.

Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-15. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.

Think this rating is wrong? Email the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.

Songs with the same DNA

layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.

Boogie Street
Leonard Cohen
moderate
DR 6
Rez
Underworld
moderate
DR 7
Moonchild
Iron Maiden
intense
DR 8
Omnipresence
Future Sound of London
moderate
DR 7
Hard Knock Life
Jay Z
moderate
DR 6
The End Has No End
The Strokes
moderate
DR 6

Safer alternatives with a similar feel

These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.

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Beyoncé safe
Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young safe
It's My Turn
Diana Ross safe
Beautiful
Christina Aguilera safe
I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)
Auli'i Cravalho safe

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