Music Review: Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
We Were Dead before the Ship Even Sank culminates three years of work for the crossover anthem craftsmen, but the first impression you get from Isaac Brock’s latest group of rants is that this record was rushed. Late last year before the first single “Dashboard” dropped, Modest Mouse made a huge splash by announcing that pop guitar icon Johnny Marr of The Smiths fame was going to be a full-time band member and assist in the songwriting process. As big a deal as that was at the time, now that the album has arrived, Marr’s effect on the band is very subtle. Not quite the sweeping change you would expect for someone notorious for anal-retentive track layering in the studio.
We Were Dead has a couple similarities to Good News for People Who Love Bad News (the band’s last effort and huge success): a largely accessible single (“Dashboard” and “Float On”) and a slow, emotive tirade (“Parting of the Sensory” and “Bukowski”). Beyond that however, the filler tracks are much less substantive. Though Good News was a very rewarding listen after the success of “Float On,” We Were Dead seems to be a waste of time after the highly marketed tracks. Good News had clear lyrical ideas that developed trust over the course of the album, whereas We Were Dead has a lot of angry babbling and guitar buildups that lead nowhere. Gone are the fitting analogies (“Like Black Cadillacs outside a funeral”), and in their place are very confusing run-ons (“If you think you know enough to know you know we’ve had enough”).
Pulling the blinders over the mainstream’s eyes seems to be Brock’s forte now. That may have worked in the past, where you could sell millions of records on the strength of a single, but in an age where ninety-nine cent downloads are becoming the norm consumers are going to get smart and buy the smash hit and leave the dead insulation songs behind. It may not be entirely Modest Mouse’s fault if that happens though. Part of me wants to think they were hurried into releasing this album, despite the long layoff. Evidence of this is found on the song “Education” where they recycle beats and heap on the Tom Waits-like shouting found on their last CD. The pressure of being on Sony/BMG might be getting to Isaac a little now that the honeymoon is over. Instead of writing because he loves to (on his own time), he’s now under contract to put out content.
Under that lens, bringing on Johnny Marr to push things along and add inspiration makes more sense, but it seems like he didn’t have much to work with. The tracks where you notice the Ex-Smith’s presence most are “Fire It Up” and “Missed the Boat” where you see that signature Marr guitar glimmer, and there’s definitely potential in these tunes, but it’s apparent that the new collaboration needs more time to evolve. Another cute cameo that appears tacked on to try and salvage We Were Dead is James Mercer from The Shins singing some sweet backups on a couple songs (notably “We’ve Got Everything”), but again, the interplay between Mercer and Brock seems forced.
The last remaining hope I have for Modest Mouse after the disappointment of these 14 songs is that the band will hone the new connection with Johnny Marr into something special over the course of this upcoming tour. Having him render their older songs in a new light will better prepare them for the next time they hit the studio and they can fully take advantage of the talent.
What say you?!