Modest Mouse Album: “The Moon And Antarctica”

I bought this CD a few months ago on a whim, just to find out what the buzz was about. I figured that a CD with almost twenty tracks on it had to have something I would like somewhere in there. And as it turns out, I was right.

There is a lot that makes Modest Mouse unusual, from this newbie's perspective. Isaac Brock's voice takes some getting used to, for one thing. He sounds damaged, vulnerable, innocent, almost childlike sometimes, and although you wouldn't think those qualities would add up to a good singer, his style really works when the music and lyrics are right.

"3rd Planet," the album's opener, is one of the songs I liked immediately. It's self-effacing, introspective, reflective, and maybe just a little sad. As far as I can tell from the lyrics, "3rd Planet" is about a couple who chooses to have an abortion. Not a pretty subject, but we don't just listen to music to feel good. "Gravity Rides Everything" works well too, feeling like the theme song for an extended, weary road trip.

Another moody track is "The Cold Part." Violins, acoustic guitar, and a loping drumbeat serve as the backdrop to a failing relationship. Initially this song seems almost comical in its gloom, but there is a thoughtful sincerity to it, completely devoid of irony, that makes you reconsider. "The Stars Are Projectors" alternates between loud and soft sequences with more or less the same underlying sentiment of solitude and loss.

There are some moments on The Moon and Antarctica that fall a bit flat, or are just too languid for their own good, but for the most part the album has a cohesive, mournful feel to it that really "works" and makes Modest Mouse distinctive. Occasionally this is conveyed with humor (such as with the disco thump of "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes"), but for the most part The Moon and Antarctica uses long, meandering songs with brief stabs of guitar-and-drum catharsis to bleed out the pain. The imagery of planets and stars -- already heavily suggestive of isolation and extreme cold -- helps keep the songs together thematically, and provides a tangible environment for the drama to play out.

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting when I bought this album, but I can definitely say I am happy with it.

"The Moon & Antarctica", although not Modest Mouse's most accessible album, is definitely their best work, and proof that signing on to a major label doesn't ALWAYS mean that something bad is about to happen (although it usually does...*grumble* ¬.¬).

First off, this album has little in common with the band's other efforts; this one is far more atmospheric and has more of a Radiohead/Pink Floyd influence instead of The Pixies influence of some of their other songs. Most of the anger and frustration from the Lonesome Crowded West is gone, and replaced with a subdued, icy, beautiful mood that stretches over many of the songs.

The Moon & Antarctica is at it's best during it's spaciest, driftiest moments, which can be found on the GORGEOUS, floating, overlapping guitar layers of "Gravity Rides Everything" (the perfect songs to play while watching the moon rise in the evening sky), the simple, raindrop-like acoustic flutters on "Perfect Disguise", the jaw dropping, shape-shifting 9 minute epic "The Stars Are Projectors" (which could very well explain all of existence), and the equally brilliant shapeshifter "Life Like Weeds".

As usual, Modest Mouse's lyrics are nothing short of absolutely stunning; the day I find a band that can top profound statements like "God is a woman, the woman is an animal, the animal is a man, and that's you" or "Was there a need for creation that was hidden in a math equation that asks this: Where do circles begin?" is the day I saw my ears off and stop listening to music (which I assure you isn't anytime soon). This could very easily be seen as a concept album about life, death, existence, religion, and the way the universe works.

Many people say that this album is as good as "OK Computer" in terms of life-changing albums; They don't say that for no reason. Reccomended for anyone who can handle weighty subject matter and equally hypnotic soundscapes to match it.

If you haven't heard Modest Mouse before but are intrigued, this is the album to buy. Modest Mouse is an unusual band, and it can be kind of hard to get into their music. Most of their other albums are not very accessible, and some of it is hard to even call music at all. While Good News for People Who Love Bad News is also a bit easier to get into, it's just not as good as The Moon & Antarctica.

Modest Mouse kind of sounds like what would happen if you took some instruments and made sounds on them until something sounded good, and then someone really talented pasted them together into coherent songs but put weird twists on them just for fun. On this album the resulting melodies are easier to get to like. Isaac Brock's voice is used particularly effectively (and generally not annoyingly) here. It may get on your nerves, though.

Here's roughly what the tracks are like:

1. 3rd Planet - flows along smoothly and sweetly (as much as Modest Mouse ever does), rather relaxing song and very good.

2. Gravity Rides Everything - was used in an advertisement, similar in feel to the first track but more of a strumming theme.

3. Dark Center of the Universe - starts to get odd, moves between an ethereal, calm and twangy section and a chanted/screaming chorus.

4. Perfect Disguise - laid-back song, not much momentum.

5. Tiny Cities Made of Ashes - driven by percussion and bass, with strange distorted vocals, a bit of respite from some normal-sounding guitar... definitely takes some time to get to like this one.

6. A Different City - first real rocking song on the album, with a focus on guitar and an excellent group-yell chorus.

7. The Cold Part - drawn out and melodic, mostly instrumental and heavy use of strings, effectively evokes an empty frozen land with its echo.

8. Alone Down There - rocks like A Different City, starts off rather surreal, but then hits you with vocals and then breaks into a powerful guitar riff.

9. The Stars Are Projectors - epic song. Starts off sounding much like Pink Floyd, then flows smoothly into a melodic section, rises to a crescendo, tapers off into something softer, and rises a couple more times before gently fading out.

10. Wild Packs of Family Dogs - quiet, folksy and very melody-based, with cowbells and accordion, very unusual lyrics though.

11. Paper Thin Walls - straightforward indie/alternative song, with discordant interludes.

12. I Came As A Rat - difficult song to describe, a focus on the vocals for the first half, and then meandering guitars against tambourine for the second half.

13. Lives - particularly weird for the first half, and then breaks into a cheery song with acoustic guitar and strings for a bit, then moves back into oddity. Both this and the previous track are difficult to get into.

14. Life Like Weeds - philosophical and back to a bit epic, relaxing, with a great ending where you can close your eyes and let the song pull you away

15. What People Are Made Of - final song on the album proper, and a rather angry one, distorted vocals and driving music, brings the album to a forceful conclusion.

The extra tracks on this remastered version are nice to hear, and worth having, but mostly slightly different angles at songs on the album. The instrumental Custom Concern is good and shows how mainstream Modest Mouse can sound without the vocals.

It's a rare album that repeatedly defies convention but manages to consistently sound good. This one succeeds.

Modest Mouse has signed with Epic, which has afforded the band to be not half as modest, at least not in studio time and production. Each song on this album is meticulously crafted and tweaked; there is not a track that avoids some post-production manipulation. In this sense the album parallels Radiohead's OK Computer to an extent, but that's where the similarities end. Whereas OK Computer is a massively overproduced (in the best possible way) album, The Moon and Antarctica appears to be less an album of self-indulgence and more a seized opportunity to explore new territory for the band. Isaac Brock's lyrics remain as dry and cynical as ever, while the musical arrangements appear to have opened up a great deal to incorporate more extensive use of the violin and bits and pieces of odd electronic effects. "The Stars Are Projectors" is the album's centerpiece, with its off-kilter arrangement and melancholy lyrics, but there are no real disappointments in the album as a whole, whereas past releases often proved to be more on the hit-or-miss side. Highly recommended, despite any reservations of the band joining the major label playing field.

If you know nothing about Modest Mouse and are curious to hear some of their most characteristic work, "The Moon & Antarctica" is a good place to start. Most of their fans consider it their best (and most representative) album to date.

I should point out that as a rule, Modest Mouse fans are not tepid: those who like Modest Mouse tend to be REALLY REALLY into Modest Mouse.

Which is another reason why you should start with "The Moon & Antarctica." Many of the reasons why others dislike Modest Mouse are also apparent on this CD.

So be warned: if you don't like this album, don't buy any of their other CD's, since if this one is not to your taste, you simply aren't gonna like Modest Mouse.