Of the 525 cataloged songs that compose the fan-run database at themountaingoats.net, there are songs written as part of a series, songs that stand alone as singles, unreleased and unidentified songs, songs written for specific people, standardized songs about bitterness and songs from as early as 1991.

That was when John Darnielle released his first record under The Mountain Goats moniker, sparking a lo-fi, do-it-yourself style of songwriting that eventually earned him praise as one of the greatest living American lyricists.

But Darnielle isn’t just flattering a scenester crowd’s music-collecting fetishism with an endless supply of songs. He’s really got something to say.

“[Mountain Goats songs] tend to be about subjects that have emotional weight to them,” said Peter Hughes, who’s played bass for Darnielle in the band since the early 1990s. “Often times they’re about narrators working through various traumas and I feel like people who identify with our music do so because ... well, for that reason exactly.”

The singing at Mountain Goats shows is fervent, both from Darnielle’s nasal register and the dedicated crowd that’s memorized the content and tone of every syllable in “This Year” and “No Children,” two of its most popular songs.

“When we perform these songs live, it turns into this really cathartic, amazing energy where that kind of darkness is turned inside-out and celebrated and conquered,” Hughes said. “It’s awesome.”

Hughes’ voice gets a little shaky over the phone while describing this catharsis that has grown into a regular part of his life over the last 20 years. He said his close friend Darnielle is always changing and trying new things with his songwriting by adapting his methods and collaborating with different musicians to keep things interesting.

“He still surprises me,” Hughes said. “In the last few years, he’s started writing on piano more than on guitar. He ends up writing songs on piano that he would never have written on guitar.”

Hughes said “Genesis 3:23” from the band’s most recent work, “The Life of the World To Come” (a concept album where each track is based around a Bible verse), is a good example. The song’s repeated chorus hook, “I used to live here,” is driven along by guitars playing a distinctly piano-like melody that makes an appearance at the song’s beginning and end. It’s a melancholy track, which becomes even more apparent when one considers that the verse depicts Adam’s banishment from the Garden of Eden.

“The Life of the World To Come” also was accentuated by an appearance from noted indie composer Owen Pallett, who formerly performed under the name Final Fantasy (and recently worked on Arcade Fire’s album “The Suburbs”). Hughes said Darnielle and Pallett met at a music festival in Australia and “hit it off,” eventually leading to a tour with Final Fantasy.

Pallett’s violin work and string arrangements contributed an appropriate reverent quality to the album as Darnielle sang lyrics like, “He has raised me from the pit and set me high.”

Hughes said Darnielle’s dedication to creativity and substance is what ultimately inspires such dedicated behavior in their fan base, which is smart and open to listen to most anything that expresses it in a well-developed manner.

“I think that it works to do something that raises an eyebrow or to mystify an audience that comes to expect a certain thing,” Hughes said. “If you’re just making the same record over and over again, OK, fine, but at some point your audience is going to get bored and you’re going to get bored. That’s no fun. We think it’s more interesting over the long haul to do things that are different and to challenge yourself to go places you’ve never been to before.”

Concert Bill
WHO: The Mountain Goats with Wye Oak
WHEN: 8 tonight
WHERE: ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 323 E. Sheridan in OKC
COST: $15
INFO: For tickets, visit www.ticketstorm.com