Posted on March 22, 2006
Modest Mouse wastes no time exploding into its fifth studio album, We Were Dead before the Ship Even Sank.
The first moments of the opening track, “March Into the Sea,” are reminiscent of something heard on a pirate ship with an accordion — definitive drumbeats and an angry sailor shouting barely comprehensible lyrics. But the pirate-themed beginning gives way to lead singer Isaac Brock’s familiar soft singing voice similar to Connor Oberst of Bright Eyes, with his quirky, almost whine of a melody, slightly cracking through the cynical lyrics. Brock continues the opening track, alternating between loud and soft, bitter and sweet vocals and ends with a chanting command, “March on!” As you march through the album, similar themes of alternating vocal styles, depressingly negative lyrics and consistently great guitar lines resurface again and again.
Despite a turbulent history of rotating members, Modest Mouse has finally seemed to find a combination that works. Guitarist, singer and songwriter Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy have been the focus of the group since its 1996 debut album, This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, and were joined by Joe Plummer, Tom Peloso and former guitarist of The Smiths, Johnny Marr, for its newest record. The band also utilized background vocals courtesy of James Mercer of The Shins on three of the tracks, “Florida,” “Missed the Boat” and “We’ve Got Everything.”
Though no one could have expected this American indie rock band to achieve mainstream success back in 1993 when they formed in Issaquah, Wash., 2004’s platinum-selling Good News for People Who Love Bad News proved those expectations wrong. With the success of “Float On” in particular, Modest Mouse has established itself as one of the most promising bands in its genre, proving its commercial potential without compromising its unique and unapologetic sound.
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank bravely continues this tradition of blatant artistic freedom even in the face of mainstream expectations. Brock is as lyrically cynical as ever, constantly shouting, growling or even barking about the injustices of life, but alternating between the yelps with soft, mellow choruses or spoken verses. The album’s first single, “Dashboard,” is a prime example of the band’s refusal to compromise and even achieves catchiness comparable to “Float On.”
“Missed the Boat” is another highlight of the album, as it mixes some of the record’s most depressing lyrics with some of the most upbeat and danceable guitar parts. Brock laments, “Well nothin’ ever went quite exactly as we’d planned, our ideas held no water, but we used ‘em like a dam. / Oh and we carried it all so well as if we’d got a new position. / Oh and I’ll laugh all the way to hell saying, ‘Yes, this is a fine promotion.’”
Perhaps some of the best tracks of the record are the more mellow, quiet and subdued, such as “People as Places as People,” “Parting of the Sensory,” “Fire It Up” and especially “Little Motel,” a sad little love song persistently asking, “That’s what we’re waiting for, aren’t we?” The softness of the lyrics leaves the listener more able to focus on the intricate and skillful guitar riffs of Marr littered throughout the entire album, though often over-powered by Brock’s more demanding vocals.
The album is a pleasant mix of familiar styles and new innovation. The group continues to deliver radio-worthy tunes without altering its own sound to achieve them, a pleasant and different approach. The tracks are catchy, the lyrics are thoughtful, the guitar is perfect and the different vocal styles keep the listener intrigued. Each song is a new and unique surprise and as Brock states in one of the best lyrics of the album, “I love life’s surprises so much I don’t want to know what’s ahead.” Fans will love this album precisely because you can never tell what’s ahead.
