RATING: 7/10

HIGHLIGHTS: Be Brave, Pups to Dust, The Tortoise & the Tourist, The Best Room

*Explicit Content*

“Mankind’s behavin’ like some serial killer,” notes Isaac Brock on Modest Mouse’s first album since 2007’s We Were Dead before the Ship Even Sank, perhaps their weakest release yet. “Giant old monsters, afraid of the sharks!” It’s this kind of cynicism towards the human race that laid the foundation for Modest Mouse from the start. We have evil intent like serial killer Andrew Cunanan, we fear wildlife when we’re the ones destroying their homes, and we’re crammed into overpopulated cities where we become “strangers to ourselves.” This new album, (which Brock admits he poured so much money and effort into he almost ended up out on the streets) is possibly the most diverse record the band has put out to date. The title track and opener is an uncharacteristic slow burner of a song that features a string section. Later tracks, such as “Pistol” and “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box,” even draw influences from dance music.

Go into it as I did, and Strangers will kick off with a lot to be asked for. The opener was so far from Modest Mouse’s usual “guns-blazing” approach to opening a record that it initially seemed weak and uninspired. The album’s first single, “Lampshades on Fire”, is on par with the strongest tracks from We Were Dead. “…. in Your Cut” is a pretty strong track, especially in its second half, but Brock’s lyricism, usually quite thought-provoking, came off as a bit random and nonsensical at times: “when the doctor finally showed up/his fur was soaking wet/he said that this should do the trick/we hadn’t told him what the problem was yet!”

The first song to really catch my attention was “Pistol,” but I mean that in the worst way possible. Kicking off with a beat better suited for an electropop group such as CHVRCHES, it stands out grossly, not only in this record, but in the entire discography of the group. A heavily modulated voice barely recognizable as Brock slurs about how he’s going to show up to work tomorrow “not ready for the meeting” because he was up all night “tak[ing] your shirt right on off,” and “zip[ing] your pants on down.” Meant as a story about the early whereabouts of the aforementioned Andrew Cunanan, or, more accurately, the view the media had of him — but to me, it still doesn’t make “Pistol” anything more or less than the strangest, weakest thing Modest Mouse may have ever put on a record.

The record immediately begins to redeem itself, however. After “Pistol” ends, “Ansel” begins with Brock shouting “here we go!” He then launches into a story inspired by the death of his brother, referred to under the pseudonym Ansel for this track. Brock muses, “the last time that you ever see another soul/No, you never get to know/No, you don’t know,” as the song comes to an abrupt close. This sort of personal, emotionally charged story telling was always a staple of Modest Mouse, and it’s great to see it back again. Next, we have “The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box” and although it caught me off guard upon its release as a single, I soon grew to appreciate it quite a bit. Its riff is a welcomed callback to The Moon & Antarctica, and the seemingly disco-inspired groove of the track later on is new, but not terribly unsettling. One thing about this track still throws me off, though, and it’s the processing on Brock’s vocals heard in a few spots.

The second half of the album is even more noteworthy. “Coyotes” is very effective in cooling things down for a bit before things start to speed up again. Watch its music video too, by the way, it’s adorable! “Pups to Dust” is one of the best songs I’ve heard from this band in a long time. “Wicked Campaign” features a great beat and the second half inspires some self-positivity as Brock sings “I’m going to wear this smile like a $100 bill.” The three biggest surprises, though, come nearly back-to-back-to-back with “Be Brave,” “The Tortoise & the Tourist,” and “The Best Room.” “Be Brave” is an energetic piece that shifts perfectly between loud bursts of rage and soft, atmospheric sections like older tracks such as “Teeth like God’s Shoeshine” or “Alone Down There.” “Tortoise” would’ve worked very well as an album opener, even including a name-drop of the album title within the lyrics. Lastly, “The Best Room” is my favorite of the singles by far, apparently a song nearly 20 years in the making according to Brock, that tells a story of a shady motel he once stayed in and his encounter with the Phoenix Lights while he was there. “Ain’t it hard feeling tired all the time?” He inquires through the growl of his lisp and smoker’s voice. Yes, it is!

“Of Course We Know” closes off the album in the same way that it kicked off. Slowly, quietly, and almost without a trace. Go into this album with any sort of expectations, and I can guarantee that you’ll leave pleasantly surprised. Eight years is a long, long time — and no doubt a lot can change in between, but rest assured, Modest Mouse has returned, and they aren’t here to disappoint.