Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

So the follow up to what I currently believe to be my personal favourite album ever is finally here - and with that in mind, strangely I didn't really have high hopes for Modest Mouse's 'We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank'.

I've listened to their previous album, 'Good News For People Who Like Bad News' many many times, to the extent that I know every nook and cranny of the trademark Modest Mouse sound. I've learnt with Mansun that the more I look forward to the album, the more likely it is I'm going to hear it a couple times and put it to one side as I've already conquered them as a band, and I've been expecting it to happen with this album. Not only did this album have to be at least half as good as Good News (a tall order imho), but it had to sound different with it. Baring in mind that in America Modest Mouse hit the big time with Good News, I expected more of the same from them (why change a winning formula?).

So I'm chuffed to say that it's a ruddy addictive listen, with the moments of brilliance that I come to expect from MM. As with Good News, the more I listen to We Were Dead, the more I realise just how good each individual song is. It took a couple listens before I noticed the difference between each song, but I did have it on whilst at work, so I wasn't really focused on it.

It's not a massive leap from Good News, especially when you consider how big a leap Good News was from The Moon & Antarctica, but it's still a leap, with the lead singer of The Shin (James Mercer) on backing vocals adding a variety to Isaac Brock's shouting.

On guitar is well known former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr (I know very little about him or his 'sound' so I won't even try to claim that I can hear the influence he has had).

The album kicks off with a 'The Decemberists ' sounding song, March Into the Sea, complete with accordion and a sea-shanty sound (I love that right now, all thanks to The Decemberists). This song is a slightly new direction for MM, but certainly not a bad one.

On the heels of the opener is probably the most accessible song on the album, Dashboard. As such, if you were to download one track as a sample, make it this one. This is the nearest song this album has to Float On, with the inclusion of (albeit minimal) trumpets and I believe a fiddle.

One of the weaker tracks off the album (not that it's a poor song by a long shot) is next, in the form of Fire It Up. That said, as I listen to it now it's already growing on me.

Florida (song 4) has moments of brilliance, although overall the song is slightly annoying due to it's repetitive nature, but if you can get past that it's actually one of the best tracks on the album with a great stomping ending and fantastic grungy guitar completely turning the song around.

Parting of the Sensory is one of the songs that make this such an addictive listen. It wouldn't sound out of place on either Moon or News, this is Mouse sounding at their very best, bringing together everything that is great about them and placing it into the one song. Crunching guitar, funky beat, the fiddle and Brock yelling with as much passion as ever.

Missed The Boat appears to be the first song on the album featuring The Shins lead singer James Mercer, and it's another new direction for MM with a relaxing, melodic chorus. It would make an ideal single.

We've Got Everything is for me the second weakest track on the album. Whilst on the previous track James Mercer really added to MM's sound, on this occasion he detracts from it. Not that it's all down to him. It's generally a repetitive track, although it does show signs of hope. I'd imagine it will grow on me in time.

Fly Trapped In A Jar kicks off with a hook you could swear you've heard somewhere else before (as it should be with all great hooks) and on that hook alone it's a great song. It could easily be a sister track to Shit Luck off of The Lonesome Crowded West album, although lyrically it's a massive improvement on Shit Luck (that said, the shoddy lyrics in Shit Luck was it's charm). 'Fly' has a couple twists in it, leaving you to think it's moved on to the next track. Apart from a lyrical reference, until you hear that catchy hook which opened the track, end it, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a new track.

Education is a good song - it's only problem is it's placed straight after Fly Trapped In a Jar, with a very similar rhythm and sound. This leaves you thinking "this is all a bit similar...". Some times it works when songs that follow sound similar, I don't believe it does on this occasion though. If the song were played on its own it would sound much better for it.

Little Motel is a mellow number. I get the feeling it's one of those songs that don't grab you straight away, but a time will come when it's played at just the right moment and it will be a stand-out song, such as on a hung-over summer's Sunday afternoon.

The pace picks up and the bouncy rhythm is back with Steam Engenius. A typical MM track, oozing layer upon layer of different sounds - the sort of technique that could give this album that same ability as Good News in that you can listen to it for the 1000th time, and still hear something new.

At eight minutes and twenty seven seconds long, Spitting Venom is the longest track on the album. Typically speaking if you see a track of that length on a MM album you expect what they have come to refer to as a 'lounge' song - a song where they just let themselves go and to an extent, jam. Not this time though. Starting with just Brock and an acoustic guitar, one minute thirty seconds in, a superb bit of electric guitar kicks in (if that is what Marr has brought to them, then he's very welcome to stay with the band). From then on the song still sounds like MM, but is taken a step further with more great guitar, yet more twists and turns, some touching trumpets and an amthemic ending, all coming together to form one of the best songs on the album.

People As Places As People can only be a let down after Spitting Venom (which I think really should have been the album closer). Nothing to note on this right now I'm feeling quite tired.

Invisible, the song that brings the album to the end does it with some energy (a far cry from Good News' Flaming Lips collaberation Good Times Are Killing Us). Trademark MM guitar in the background, if that is Marr playing he's fitted in well. To be honest I'm to tired to write any more on this. With regards to writing reviews, this album goes on about 2 tracks to long. Good song though :)

Anyway, if you've read this far I should appoligise if the above was in anyway pretensios for a blog entry. After reading so many album reviews, I thought I'd give it a shot myself. I was quite curious to see if it helped me to actually listen to and take in the songs - and I believe it has. I think sitting here writing this has achieved the same as hearing the album 10 times on the iPod whilst going to work. Far more tiring though as a result!