Three years after their last studio release, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank continues Modest Mouse's musical odyssey from where it left off. Fans of Good News for People Who Love Bad News won't be disappointed with lead singer Isaac Brock's obnoxiously addictive blend of cynicism and pop on tracks like "Dashboard" and "Fire it Up". Meanwhile, songs like "We've Got Everything" and "Fly in a Jar" show just how far Brock's tight rope act between cacophony and harmony has come without losing its original charm.
Even the die-hard fans who've followed Modest Mouse since the early years of The Lonesome Crowded West can appreciate the effort by Brock and company (with the addition of rock icon/guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths) to refine their sound. For a band that made it big a decade into their career, Modest Mouse shows no signs of losing sight of what it does best, even in the bright lights of newfound fame.
