Listen to most any tune by Isaac Brock and you imagine being in his circle of friends or even his band-formerly indie, still rockers Modest Mouse-has to be a somewhat scary experience. (Guitarist Johnny Marr took up the challenge, joining the troupe for this effort; but then, he worked for Morrissey in the Smiths, too.)
To say nothing of an old rape accusation (charges were never pressed), singer Brock is an emotional roller coaster. On We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, he whimpers, screams, moans, cajoles, berates and whispers-all within, say, a couple of measures. For example, take lead-off track "March Into The Sea," where Brock growls spooky lyrics like, "I wish death on myself," followed by maniacal laughs, all over nursery-rhyme melodies. Eesh.
Listening is a much more pleasant experience, though, as 1.5 million-some mainstream music listeners who bought 2004's platinum seller Good News for People Who Like Bad News found out. Brock delivers 14 new tunes on this disc, with guest vocals from the Shins' James Merceron several songs. There's probably no "Float On" here, although "Dashboard" is nothing to sneeze at. Still, Modest Mouse's spiky, post-punky, guitar-driven songs, catchy melodies and Brock's strangely endearing vocal delivery are nigh unto irresistible. Mix in tasteful strings, some horns and even the occasional fiddle breakdown, and you've got a winner.
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