Modest Mouse - 'We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sunk' (Columbia) Released 02/04/07

Their fifth studio album to date, ‘We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sunk’ is the latest record to be released by American indie rockers Modest Mouse; A multi dimensional album that juxtaposes darkness against light in a red faced schizophrenic bout of self-cleansing anger and prophetic genius. this continuous mix of beauty vs. hard edged yet tempered aggression is centred around the bands creative force and lead vocalist Isaac Brock the bands open door policy saw Modest Mouse collaborate with ex Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr who co-wrote and features on the album and is now an official member of the band.

It’s the combination of vocal and guitar that gives this album such a unique style and sound, with neither musician content to let the tracks or the album become pedestrian or predictable. Instead there is a very defined and noticeable effort to make the album stand out from the crowd through sheer creativeness and imagination. Aggressive vocals pitched against punchy angular guitars create and relieve tension all at once, like the opening track ‘March Into The Sea’ whose gentle verse clashes with the strength and anguish of Brock’s voice and pained lyrics “Oh treat me like the sea, oh so salty and mean”.

‘We’ve Got Everything’ on the other hand is a more honest, brutal and punky take on Len’s ‘Steal My Sunshine’ that exudes confidence, without the polished sound and glossy god bless Americana lyrics. But the sweeping sound of road trip Americana does gloriously shine through at several points, such as in the aptly named and heavily guitar based ‘Florida’ which musically rejoices in sunglasses and sunshine. As does the crisp Indian summer guitars and stirring hopeful strings on ‘Missed The Boat’ which at points, floats along like Devendra Banhart’s ‘Little Yellow Spider’.