I've always been a very distant fan of Modest Mouse, I like their stuff but don't often pay a lot of attention to it. We Were Dead is my favorite album of theirs too, thought it never got the attention it deserved
We Were Dead is great, but you should really start at the beginning of their discography and work through it. They have so much good stuff.
You're probably the first person I've ever seen call We Were Dead... their favourite Modest Mouse album It's not a bad album or anything but it's certainly far from their best. It was also the first album of theirs that I listened to.
We were dead is my favorite MM record and I've been listening to them since 2000 and have (and enjoy) all their records. I've also seen plenty of people rank We Were Dead as their favorite. Not that odd at all.
I've actually got most of their full albums on my iPod - I don't mind The Lonesome Crowded West or The Moon and Antarctica, and still haven't heard Strangers to Ourselves - worth it? I just like their more polished yet still off-kilter vibe whereas TLCW sounds mostly like demos.
Strangers to Ourselves isn't really worth it. I was waiting eight years for that album and it just didn't deliver. Hearing a once great indie rock band sounding so average was up there with some of my biggest musical disappointments.
Strangers to Ourselves has some great songs on it: Lampshades, Shit in your Cut, Ansel, Sugar Boats, Coyotes, God is an Indian, The Best Room, The Ground Walks. Was I expecting more after an 8 year wait? Maybe, but pretty hard to live up to those kind of expectations when you wait for nearly a decade. I don't think there is anything they could have made that would have really riled people up after waiting for so long. It's a fine record, imo.
Can't believe I haven't commented on this thread yet, considering this is my second favorite band and all. Moon and Lonesome will forever be my favorites. I think Moon, especially, is a perfect album. It's really one of the most successful albums I can think of at creating a consistent atmosphere and mood throughout, while still being diverse. It manages to push the band's sound in so many new territories from Long Drive and LCW, without sacrificing the band's identity.
if that's what you like, you should love strangers to ourselves. i think it's about as good as their more modern sound gets.
I love how Moon and Antarctica thematically sounds exactly like the title says -- chilly, isolated, spacious, expansive. It's not even an explicit lyrical thing, but subtler things like reverb on the vocals and it's just so wonderfully executed. But I love Lonesome Crowded West more. Perfect albums, good discography, good band
Sidenote, when Strangers to Ourselves came out, wasn't there a bunch of hoopla about them turning around and releasing another album a year later? Whatever happened to this?
So Isaac Brock fell asleep at the wheel and caused a crash (no injuries), but holy lol at the most Portland car crash of all time. Portland Police released a statement revealing that Brock crashed into the rear of a City of Portland Parks truck, “which hit a Subaru, which hit another Subaru, which likely hit a 5th car that left the scene.” Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock Crashes Into Car After Falling Asleep at the Wheel | Pitchfork
Recently saw them live and it was one of the best shows i've ever been to! Also love Strangers to Ourselves, great album and a worthy addition to their discography.
I bet their record company is holding it up. I remember him saying they would release it if they legally could. Now that it's been a year and a half I can't help but think they will tinker with it or start new.
Listening to Stranger To Ourselves for first time in about a year, forgot how much I love this record.