It is a collection of B-sides and unreleased tracks from the sessions surrounding the release of their latest two albums, Good News For People Who Love Bad News and We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, continuing the tradition of the prolific band to release almost everything they ever record, with most being of such impressive quality you can see why it befitted release.
Opener "Satellite Skin" is classic Modest Mouse, rip-roaringly anthemic without screaming to the stadiums, obliquely negative whilst being depressingly optimistic. One of those tracks that never seems like its loud enough, with Brock's vocals competing with the carefully crafted, yet excitedly delicate arrangements behind. Modest Mouse songs are veritable house of cards of a strong breeze, constantly on the brink of falling apart but ending up being stubbornly amazing.
"Guilty Cocker Spaniels", released as a single as well as the previous track, is not quite as impressive, and as the EP continues it becomes clear that many of these would have, indeed, not fitted very well with the latest two albums, and hark back somewhat to the Modest Mouse of Lonesome Crowded West or This Is A Long Drive... days, especially with whose video was to become Heath Ledger's directorial debut, "King Rat".
The final track exemplifies Modest Mouse's skill for the quietly self-effacing tracks which litter their amazing discography, but only brushes with the brilliance of tracks such as the understated "The Good Times Are Killing Me".
Overall, this EP is far from the poppy introduction to the band that the last two major label albums have displayed, but is of interest to any and all fans of the band already. Although, arguably, completists will have all these tracks in some form already, this collection is still a worthwhile purchase.
6/10
No One's First And Your Next is out now on Epic.
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1 comment:
aiiight it's yr ol' online buddy FoxDhoj, check out my blog, this is nice stuff, i mentioned this EP in one of my posts a while back, great job!
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