Good News for Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse’s lengthy album Good News for People Who Love Bad News was released in April of 2004. The tragic album title is well-matched with the dark music that flows throughout. With the help of their new-found record label, Epic Records, Modest Mouse skyrocketed to commercial triumph. Their sensational single “Float On” was a major success and it’s still on the radio every once in a while. The indie rock band was proud, but still allowed themselves to stay exclusive. Unlike many previous bands, they never let the fame go to their heads.

Most of the music critics thought favorably of the album. “Ultimately, what makes Good News so successful is that it retains the melancholy mood of past works, while at the same time adding depth and maturity,” said Tiny Mix Tapes. It does seem as though the dismal sound was what made the album so popular. The New York Times praised, “The best Modest Mouse album yet.” But fans of Modest Mouse, when it was just an indie band, didn’t totally agree with Good News. One fan waved “Goodbye old Modest Mouse.” Sure, they were adding and altering, but it made them no more mainstream as before; they were just getting recognized.

The most intriguing aspect of the album, or all albums really, was Modest Mouse’s lyrics. Words danced around each other like butterflies, creating a beautiful twist. Listening to the Good News gives you the sense of wanting to tap your foot and mentally hitting a mailbox with a baseball bat. The metaphorical lyrics mixed with downright incongruity was a tornado of spectacular noise. This impressive, depressive, and innovative album will spin through your head, and you’ll love it.