Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (Album Review)

 

Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica

(2000)

My copy: 2010 special edition remaster by Epic and Legacy.

Following the emotional zenith of The Lonesome Crowded West, Modest Mouse had finally secured themselves a major label contract. Their third (official) full-length would receive a massive boost in production value at the expense of some of Brock’s signature aggression. 

Things are immediately dialed back with the twinkling clean guitar riffs on “3rd Planet” though there are occasionally powerful yelps and stilted, angry chords. The sound is dialed much further back on “Gravity Rides Everything,” where the cool and mature approach becomes a detriment. Apart from some reversed guitar lines and catchy vocal melodies, the track is mostly mundane. “Dark Center Of The Universe” pushes too far in the opposite direction, coming off as a hi-fi parody of earlier Modest Mouse: there are once again good vocal harmonies that attempt to save the song, but it is mostly a forgettable endeavor. 

Hope is not totally lost though, as the duo of “Perfect Disguise” and “Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes” reassure fans that Modest Mouse can match the emotion and vigor of their prior offerings. “Perfect Disguise” makes use of background harmonies and tripped-out echoed guitar squeaks to create a surreal ballad before the bass on “Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes” bulldozes what’s left of the ambiance, building to the sharpest choruses of the record. Equipped with more expansive recording techniques, the band is delving more into psychedelic influences, as is further heard with the chorus-dunked guitar and icy keyboards on “A Different City,” which again succeeds in updating Brock’s lyrical anger and confusion. 

“The Cold Part” is one of the more interesting experiments, with either keys, violin or heavily affected guitar complimenting the urgency of the chords. Despite anxious progressions, the tempo is mellow, which opens the room for some of Brock’s most chilling deliveries. “Alone Down There” starts promising with more creepy vocals and unsettling guitar, but devolves into a straightforward anthem. Modest Mouse then makes the absolute best use of their new resources to produce the multi-faceted and immaculately conceived “Stars Are Projectors.” The nearly nine-minute track opens loud and heavy, with delayed vocals before switching to hypnotic choruses that use a drone to transition into one of the most intoxicating jam sessions of their entire discography. Guitar arpeggios, strings, keys, bass and drums are all constantly flowing together, eventually spilling over into new movements until the melodies have exhausted themselves, landing in a series of bright, shimmering riffs that slowly settle down.

“Wild Pack Of Family Dogs” is a brief acoustic track composed entirely by Brock. “Paper Thin Walls” is a precursor to the band’s future biggest hit (“Float On”) though some of the production tricks and snappy lyrics make things innocent enough here. EQ techniques are utilized the most on “I Came As A Rat” which becomes warped through muting of the drums, reversed melodies and a bass line that sputters and falls apart, only to be revived as a supernatural drone. “Lives” is yet another Isaac Brock solo track with a more interesting progression. 

“Life Like Weeds” is the best use of soft-to-loud dynamics on the record, with rigid guitar being contrasted against some of Brock’s most moving and melancholic lyrics and singing. The song is then lifted up into space with droning feedback. The final track is one of the better aggressive songs, as Brock explodes with disgust for his fellow man amidst voracious tremolo. 

The problem with The Moon & Antarctica largely lies in the songwriting, which often feels as though it is experiencing an identity crisis. Their first two full-lengths are decidedly consistent, despite featuring a wide array of emotions and themes: here commercially accessible songs and arena-rock are pitted against some of their most imaginative creations, resulting in a roller-coaster of quality. If they had used their new resources to continuously marry Brock’s sardonic angst to psychedelic themes, it could have been their most formidable release yet. The good does heavily outweigh the boring here, still leaving us with one of their best efforts.