Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank review
Grade: A-
Modest Mouse has been around for a long time, yet this is their first post-”Good News for People Who Love Bad News”, this album that broke them out into the mainstream fueled by the enormous success of it’s first single, “Flaot On.”
The anticipation has been building then, especially after the revelation that the legendary Johnny Marr of the legendary Smiths was collaborating on the album. Not only that, but that it was announced that he was a full-fledged member of the band.
The wait for long time Modest Mouse fans was well worth it. We get an album full of angst, aggression, and me vs. the world mentality, most notably on the defiant “Fly Trapped in a Jar.” 5 LP’s later and front-man Issac Brock is still as cynical as ever.
Screams, mutterings, and other odd noises fill the album throughout just to let us know how different Brock is. He definitely didn’t go the safe route as so many of his counterparts have taken after being struck with new found commercial success. In fact, I don’t think there is a “Float On” on the album. The closest to it is the first single “Dashboard,” which isn’t even close, and perhaps “We’ve Got Everything.”
That’s not to say that this album isn’t full of pop sensibilities. It’s a very catchy album with very catchy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Brock’s often manic, eccentric delivery will most likely be the turn off to most mainstream fans who got used to the more straight laced content of “Good News…” The album is definitely more aimed toward the “Devil’s Workday” crowd, than to the “Float On” crowd.
At times certain songs can become a bit too repetitive and, even with a fitting album title, the boating metaphors become a little heavy handed at times. But, overall this is an album that is solid on almost all levels.
Johnny Marr’s guitar work and James Mercer’s guest backup vocals, which in spots seem more like lead vocals, are a very welcome addition. The music is definitely top notch. The slow songs are beautiful and the up-tempo songs are undeniably catchy.
“We Were Dead..” is a thoroughly enjoyable album that will be sure to have Modest Mouse fans satisfied throughout the spring. While not as great as “The Lonesome Crowded West,” this album is a worthy addition to a prestigious body of work.
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Nice review. I really enjoyed this album as well. As a huge fan of The Shins, I was pleasantly surprised to find Mercer’s vocals more prominently mixed so you could hear his contribution as vocalist rather than just traditional chorus backup vocals.
Daniel Nicolas on March 26th, 2007 11:14 am
I like the review and I definitely was surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. I do think that Florida would be good single, though. One complaint I had heard about this album that I agree with is that the songs don’t flow well enough. Overall, I’m a fan of this album, but I think that there is a chance it will alienate a number of fans the band picked up after the successes of “Good News..”
Preston Cornish on April 1st, 2007 10:47 am