Josh Cadji

State Hornet

For a cold, dirty old drifter looking to find a town to callhome, Modest Mouse’s new album, “Good News For PeopleWho Love Bad News,” is a warm and comforting quilt stitchedwith hope, but patched with sorrow and angst.

Their eighth full-length album, “Good News” hitsstores on April 6. This new album is a longer and morecommercial-friendly concept album than their 2001 EP,”Everywhere and His Nasty Parlor Tricks.”

Isaac Brock, the bleeding heart and indie demigod of ModestMouse, creates his most inspiring and lovely conceptual album yet,with help from new drummer Benjamin Weikel (from Helio Sequence)and Eric Judy on bass. “Good News” is a departure fromthe labels that have been sewn onto Modest Mouse over the years.The new release proves to be so much more than independent rock, asthey venture from blue-grass to folksy ballads to pop togrunge.

George Harrison once said that if it made noise, The Beatleswould use it. “Good News” reflects that, as a cryingbaby, a pump organ, possibly a seagull-sounding theremin and creepycircus horns are thrown into the mix. Modest Mouse flirts with aplethora of sounds on this album, giving the listener anopportunity to fall in love over and over with a different soundeach time.

The album begins with a freakish horn section, setting the tablefor an unorthodox, yet gorgeous album which shoots you with arrowsof love and faith but all the while bludgeoning you with songs ofdarkness and despair.

“World at Large” opens things up for us, as a rustyBrock guitar takes us through a poetic whirlwind. “The daysget shorter and the nights get cold/ I like the autumn but thisplace is getting old/ I pack up my belongings and I head for thecoast/ It might not be a lot but I feel like I’m making themost.” Brock sings for the lonely drifter in all of us,trying our best to find a fit and looking for a little more, evenif we know deep down it’s not out there. Here, Brock comfortsus with swoons of hope and loving lyrics of faith; somewhere outthere, we all have a fit.

“Float On” is the apparent single of the album, withthe band’s first music video accompanying it. With adangerously contagious riff, “Float On” perpetuates thesilver-lining theme to the album. Brock brings lyrics that echo anew positive outlook on life, that luck can turn around and thingsdo indeed get better. This, however, is the antithesis to pastModest Mouse albums, as negativity and self-loathing emptinesspermeated throughout previous releases.

One of the darker songs on the album, “Bukowski” isa rocker off its rocker. A menacing voyage into doubt and chillingself-inspection, Brock questions God’s desertion of him and asunken heart. With a disturbingly beautiful banjo and an accordionwith equal gothic grace, “Bukowski” brings us back fromthe high of hope and conviction from earlier in the album down tothe bitter and lonesome realities of life and existence.

Possibly the best song on the album, “Blame it on theTetons” sings us away to a lonely Midwestern grass field withonly clouds in the sky and thoughts in our mind. A clean acousticguitar slips and slides with a gray melancholy piano, all the whilea sad-to-the-touch country fiddle throws your head into your hands,leaving you questioning every drop of yourself. A sweet folk songat first hear, but a deeper listen will show the true Modest Mouse,lie-in-the-gutter depression soured with pity; life, for eternity,will drag us down a sharp road of broken glass hearts.”Everyone’s a building a’ burning/ With no one toput the fire out/ Standing at the window looking out/ Waiting fortime to burn us down.”

The final bow to “Good News,” “The Good Timesare Killing Me,” is a fitting conclusion to a special albumabout the most painful of subjects. Starting out with band-memberdialogue, an acoustic guitar and a simple riff, “The GoodTimes are Killing Me” is reminiscent of The Beatles’silly sing-along, “You Know My Name;” but, there is farmore to the song than meets the ear. An honest account of lettinggo, the good times were killing Brock. Such brutal honesty reallymakes for a great album; Brock gives us the key to his soul and wepeek in and see a resolve to rid himself of these demons that haveclaimed too many.

“Good News For People Who Love Bad News” is anotherpiece to the distorted puzzle that is Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse.It is a bright album full of sun and shine, but clouded byraindrops of despair and anguish.