The Moon & Antarctic

Modest Mouse are undoubtedly one of the most important bands to come out of the U.S recently, providing hope after the saturation of the industry with the meaningless sell-out pulp of Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. Modest Mouse have constructed sheer beauty in 'The Moon and Antartica', describing not only their angst and disillusion with western plastic culture, but the undeniable beauty and magic that is still present in life, if we could all but catch it and hold on to it all for a while. This album is a universal work of cool importance that should be enjoyed everywhere.

Modest Mouse have produced what should be classed a modern masterpeice with The Moon and Antarctica. The themes of emptyness and bleakness from previous albums has moved into the greater scale with this effort as their more expansive sound allows the band, mainly Issac's guitar sounds being twisted, which sucks you into there music even more than before. Most songs start with thin sounding guitar picking with delay and reverb, haunting melodies leading into Issac's biting vocals as the the drums rummble in with unorthadox rythms along with the bass. Some songs include violin which adds to epicness of Dark Center Of The Universe, The Cold Part and The Stars Are Projectors. Taking the first song the lyrics, "The universe is shaped exactly like the earth, if you go straight along enough you'll end up where you were" and "Everything that keeps them together is fallng apart, I got this thing i consider my only art of fucking people over" shows Issac's self bitterness and the themes of the album. The beck style Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes with its thumping bass line and electronic influences is a suprise first time round but is excellent. It merges into the biting and vicous intro to A Different City, a favorite off the album and similar to their earlier work. This is a true indie rock song and continues the speed of the first section of the CD until The Cold Part ebbs in and pulls you back down into your chair. The slower melodic section of the CD starts from this song until the epic Stars....soars in. The beauty of that songs seems to last forever until the little acoustic dittie Wild Pack Of Family Dogs makes you both laugh a little and think alot about its meaningful lyrics. The final songs on the album are excellent with mellow songs up until the final track which shakes you awake just as you are falling asleep. I havent found an album as good as this in a long while and is highly recommended. Genious lyrics and a fantasic mix of distored, folky and delayed guitar with excellent drumming make this one of my favourite albums.

Having only recently discovered Modest Mouse, I can honestly say that already I cannot imagine my C.D. collection without them. This album in particular is simply stunning. There is an incredible range of cutting, catchy, edgy and down-right bizarre guitar riffs, accompanied by foot-stomping drums and all held together beautifully by the always emotive, occasionally deranged vocals of Brock. It is difficult to pick out individual highlights, quite simply it starts great, ends great and has a great bit in between! What's more it sits together perfectly not just as a collection of songs, but as a complete musical experience. It takes you on a magical ride from the head banging "tiny cities made of ashes" to the eerie "the cold part" the catchy acoustic "paper thin walls" and the raw breakdown emotion of "lives". There is something to love and admire in every track, and also plenty of thought provoking images courtesy of some purposeful lyrics. This is experimental, alternative, guitar driven rock at it's best!