new modest mouse?

[bkforever]

how does everyone else feel about their new single 'dashboard?'

it's pretty catchy and different from their older stuff. a lot similiar to good news for people who like bad news though.

[derek]

after the first listen the album is alright

[mike lowrey]

after a quick listen I didn't like the album that much.

I think some Modest Mouse fans atleast think that Good News wasn't as good as the other albums, but I liked it the best and I like it more than this one too. I guess I just like the more harmonic songs like The World At Large, Float On and Ocean Breathes Salty.

Dashboard is pretty good I think, but many of the tracks sound too busy to me. Missed the Boat and Fire it Up were a couple of other tracks I liked.

[ghostdeini]

after a quick listen I didn't like the album that much.

I think some Modest Mouse fans atleast think that Good News wasn't as good as the other albums, but I liked it the best and I like it more than this one too. I guess I just like the more harmonic songs like The World At Large, Float On and Ocean Breathes Salty.

Dashboard is pretty good I think, but many of the tracks sound too busy to me. Missed the Boat and Fire it Up were a couple of other tracks I liked.

yeah the last album was most definitely the most harmonic, probably because they had a major producer on board after being signed to a label. I don't know if you've ever seen them in concert or listened to their live album, Baron von Bullshit Rides Again, but Isaac Brock can't sing to save his life.

[zelah]

I want to fight everyone who thinks that "good news" was even an OK album

[viv1984viv]

Im currently listening to "building something out of nothing", I loved "good news" at first bit it doesnt age well. I think I do prefer their more rhythmy "wakakaka" style songs. So whats the new album like? Harmonic or wakakaka?

[notesee]

I've never been a big fan of this band, but I'm listening through this album anyway .. I'll explain what I think of it afterwards.

[mike lowrey]

I want to fight everyone who thinks that "good news" was even an OK album

what about if I think it was a good album, do I get away with that?

I didn't like all the songs, it wasn't that complete but I really liked a selection of tracks.

viv, not sure what you mean but I think the new album has more noisy and wacky songs, I prefer the more "subtle" or, as said, harmonic ones.

[ndmhxc]

i loved the new album... the mere fact that jonny marr (the guitarist for the smiths) joined modest mouse makes me love the band all the more. its been interesting to listen to modest mouse from their first albums and see their progression, and also the times they come into my life. i think that with mr. marr helping to write, it just adds to modest mouse a new facet in a band that already has a song writing genius like issac brock.

good news was a great album... and ill gladly fight you.

[panikEpenguin]

good news had some pretty amazing songs. and in terms of mixing wacky and harmonic, the view fits perfectly. i agree that the new album is a bit too noisy, but good news definitnitley isn't a bad album; it had seven solid songs. though that's less than half the total songs, it's still seven good songs.

[Work the raw]

It's perfect - take an old Modest Mouse record, add tighter song structures, some of the best guitar lines of their career, and throw in better production, and you've got this one. This might be my favorite album of theirs yet, on terms of something that's consistent all the way through. Clearest competition in my mind is Lonesome Crowded West, and I think this one might edge it out.

[ndmhxc]

Clearest competition in my mind is Lonesome Crowded West, and I think this one might edge it out.

a beautiful, and very under appreciated album. i was thinking about my top three modest mouse albums and came up with 1.lonesome crowded west 2.the moon and antarctica 3. building nothing out of something.

do we have any smiths fans here, btw?

[1995chardx]

doesn't sound too promising then...ill peep it out....3rd planet is still the best song from them imo

[machineo]

been a fan since m&a and i got all their previous albums after that and i still found myself listening to good news the most. many great songs on there even though that was the album that got them the most publicity. blame it on the tetons is a mellowing song to play

[mike lowrey]

blame it on the tetons is a mellowing song to play

yea definately, that and World at Large are the two of the very few songs I know how to play

[mwrenchd]

Half this album is great, the other half is alright. Nothing too crappy except Dashboard.

Oh and Good News sucked. This Is A Long Drive was their best (LCS a close 2nd).

edit: I might add that I think this album is over-produced. Part of what makes (made?) Modest Mouse really good was their rawness, that sense of teetering on the edge, but then harnessing it into a helluva pop song. Good News totally wussified that, both in terms of production and song-writing. This album is a nice step back in the right direction, just a few too many spots reminiscent of what I really didn't like in Good News.

[viv1984viv]

MMmmmmm heavier? I think i might like it then. I think their more harmonic efforts have a limited appeal for me, personally the more lonesomesque style ages better with me. I think I like their rhythmy heavy stuff because I dont really tend to play like that myself. I forgot Marr joined, yeah im a smiths fan, love morrissey and Marr.

Mwrenched - Totally agree, the raw edge is what gives both the heavy tracks and the mellow tracks appeal for me, im probably gonna buy this Lp none the less though, cant get enough modest or marr.

[zelah]

It's perfect - take an old Modest Mouse record, add tighter song structures, some of the best guitar lines of their career, and throw in better production, and you've got this one. This might be my favorite album of theirs yet, on terms of something that's consistent all the way through. Clearest competition in my mind is Lonesome Crowded West, and I think this one might edge it out.

fuck

okay i will download it, we'll see

edit: and i fucking love the smiths, and the 7 proper modest mouse releases. everywhere and his nasty parlor tricks was shit and good news just made my brain and heart hurt.

[slipperypete]

I've had a chance to listen to the new album two or three times and think it's more of a return to the form of Moon and Antarctica. I didn't care for "Good News" at all and think that the new album isn't too similar to that at all. I think my favorite song on the new album so far is "Florida". My top Modest Mouse would be 1. Lonesome Crowded West 2. This is a Long Drive... 3. Moon & Antarctica. I also love The Smiths and forgot that Marr was in the mix on this album. Also of note, James Mercer of The Shins sings backing vocals on a few tracks on the new album.

[zelah]

uuuuuuugh

okay new plan. if anyone asks about modest mouse i'll just tell them the Moon & Antartica was their last album, then they broke up and maybe died

[Carl]

Zelah, you ever see them in Portland/Eugene around 99-2000?

The second show of theres i went to, at some point around that time frame, Brock was too coked up to get past maybe 3 or 4 songs. It was ridiculous. He'd go on stage, warble out some bullshit, wonder around, insult some people, get pissed, and leave. I wanted my 12 bucks back.

Someone do a YSI of the new one and send me a PM

[mr fluffernutter]

modest mouse just keeps getting worse

is it because isaac is happy and successful now?

[naturaljax]

I've been listening to it pretty consistently now for the last week.

I'll start by saying I definitely think it's better than GNFPWLBN. To me Good News just tried to hard to be "Modest Mouse" without ever actually achieving that sound. That being said I think that now that they're on a major label, new guitarist etc etc, I don't think the old Modest Mouse sound is coming back. They've got a more clean, polished up and produced sound now, as opposed to the raw, messy material they used to put out. On top of noticeable production differeances I believe the whole band is now sober? We all know how that can affect a group's sound.

Overall though, I think Modest Mouse is getting good influences from Johnny Marr. If they hadn't added him to their line-up I think they would've continued with the Good News sound, which personally I didn't like all that much.

This is the new sound of MM that I guess everyone has to decide for themselves wether or not they like it. Personally I'll take Lonesome Crowded West anyday, but I won't be disappointed if their future recordings have this polished sound to it either.