The mouse still roars with Marr
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By ESTEN HURTLE Satellite Correspondent
3/23/2007
What album features sailors, ships and catchy pop songs? No, it's not a new Decemberists record.
Modest Mouse has released "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank," a follow-up to 2004's "Good News for People Who Love Bad News." The new disc continues in the band's recently adopted style of catchy songs and long album titles.
The first single, "Dashboard," seems poised to inherit the ubiquitous airplay of "Float On," yet takes a different approach to the radio-friendly pop song.
This track, as well as a large portion of the album, borrows heavily from '80s pop, which is not surprising, considering the guitarist from the influential '80s band the Smiths, Johnny Marr, has been added to the band's lineup.
The record takes the musical ideas explored in "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" one step further, turning raw but entertaining songs into complex, layered works. Smooth backing vocals add a necessary balance to Isaac Brock's typically rough vocal style, just as Marr's guitar work makes these songs flow more smoothly than those on any other Modest Mouse album.
As always, Brock's lyrics are both simple and endearing. The chorus of the song "Missed the Boat" reflects the
Even the outwardly optimistic "Dashboard" ends in sympathetic but pointless anger. While the album avoids the frantic depression of "Good News For People Who Love Bad News," it fails to capture the subtleties that made 2000's "The Moon and Antarctica" Modest Mouse's finest work.
A problem with this record is a general lack of cohesiveness. Its pop styling, while unique and entertaining, does not lend itself to an experience beyond its individual songs as much as previous albums did. However, this is possibly the most diverse Modest Mouse record to date, making the disorganization easier to stomach.
Fans of "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" will find even more to like in "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank," while those who weren't satisfied with the previous release may find something to win them back here. Regardless, it proves that Modest Mouse's mainstream success will be anything but short-lived.
Esten Hurtle 581-8336
Jenks senior
satellite@tulsaworld.com
By ESTEN HURTLE Satellite Correspondent
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