Modest Mouse, "Strangers to Ourselves"

It's finally here. After eight long years, Modest Mouse have finally returned with their sixth album, titled Strangers to Ourselves. I previously shared about my love for this band and my excitement for their long-awaited new record in my post about the single "Coyotes". This single gave me hope that Modest Mouse would reutilize some of the elements of their earlier music that I emotionally connect to most (introspective lyrics, songs that build-up, bending guitars, etc.) that they had strayed away from on their last couple records. And I am pleased to say that there are a handful of tracks on Strangers to Ourselves that are reminiscent of their earlier material and contain these elements that originally made me fall in love with Modest Mouse. From beginning to end, this is an emotionally gripping record in true Modest Mouse fashion. Besides "Coyotes", the opening and closing tracks titled "Strangers to Ourselves" and "Of Course We Know", are two of the most moving and profound 'ballads' that the band has ever produced. "Strangers" is musically subdued and lyrically poetic, while "Of Course We Know" is reminiscent of a Grizzly Bear song musically with it's reverb-heavy guitars and piano, but the lyrics are an unmistakable Isaac Brock rant. The rest of the songs in between these two beautifully simple bookends cover many different soundscapes, but stick to the lyrical theme of the album's title. For me, the highlights of the album are the tracks that showcase reverb-heavy production and Isaac's distinct guitar playing. Aside from the three tracks already mentioned, this includes "Pups to Dust" and "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box". The first 30 seconds of "Pups" are incredibly reminiscent of the band's early work, and perhaps is my favorite moment on the record if only for the sheer nostalgia it generates. The entire song is fascinating, with signature Brock lyrics that question existence (my favorites being "the way we feel about what we do is by who has watched", and "we don't belong here, we were just born here"). Complete with a "trippy" outro that sounds similar to my personal favorite Mouse record, The Moon and Antarctica, this song personally blew me away. "The Ground Walks" also excited me upon first listen. It's very dancey, which is a characteristic of their more recent material, but also contains some awesome guitar leads by Brock that sound like they could be from their first record. The combination of old and new sounds on this track creates a perfect balance that they had not quite achieved until now. There are a couple songs on this record, however, that prevent this album from being as cohesive as their previous efforts in sound and quality. One of these tracks, "Pistol", is an experimental electronic number that features primarily drum machines and synths, and Brock shouting absurd innuendos from the perspective of a serial killer complete with creepy vocal distortion. While I applaud the band for creating a song that sounds absolutely nothing like any of their previous material, this song sticks out like a sore thumb, and in my opinion, is horrifying (and certainly not pleasant) to listen to. "Sugar Boats", while not a terrible song, sounds like a retread compared to the rest of the record. The tacky piano and the Tom Waits-esque chord progression also makes this track sound entirely different from the rest of the record (and extremely similar to their last two records). By simply removing this track from the album, the overall cohesion of the record would improve immensely. However, this record is a huge improvement over their last record. Strangers to Ourselves, for the most part, marks a return to introspective lyrics and emotional music for Modest Mouse. Fans of their earlier work may be disappointed to hear that this is their most heavily produced record to date. There is much more layering and sound effects than even their previous major label albums had. But the songwriting and music more than makes up for the lack of raw production in my opinion. In the end, I am very satisfied that my favorite band is finally back with a record full of great songs with an outpouring of emotion, because only Modest Mouse can make me feel so strongly through music.





Click here to listen to "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box"
Click here to listen to "Of Course We Know"