MODEST MOUSE
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Epic
· How can singer Isaac Brock make being manic seem all too sane?
Maniacal lunatics always make for the best front men. Why in God’s name would anyone want to watch a person who has his shit together?
Following their chart-topper Good News for People Who Love Bad News and the album’s radio hit "Float On," Modest Mouse seems to be getting back to basics for its fifth album. Even with the addition of new member Johnny Marr (holy crap – yes, that Johnny Marr, the former Smiths guitarist), the band has never sounded more cohesive or deliberate.
Brock has always been a brilliant lyricist – able to pinpoint a maudlin moment in time and peel away the layers until getting to a "big idea." A modern-rock philosopher if ever there was one, he never shies away from dark subjects. His anger is illuminated by his trademark "Mwuah ha-ha" laugh that acts as punctuation for many of his songs.
Even though the band has moved far from its indie rock roots – finding a comfortable home on a major label – Brock’s heart is still calcified and suspicious of happiness.
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