Modest Mouse
The Moon & Antarctica - Epic 2000
Tracks: 1. 3rd Planet / 2. Gravity Rides Everything / 3. Dark Center of the Universe / 4. Perfect Disguise / 5. Tiny Cities Made of Ashes / 6. A Different City / 7. The Cold Part / 8. Alone Down There / 9. The Stars Are Projectors / 10. Wild Packs of Family Dogs / 11. Paper Thin Walls / 12. I Came as a Rat / 13. Lives / 14. Life Like Weeds / 15. What People Are Made Of
Comments:
”The Moon & Antarctica” of 2000 was Modest Mouse's third and their first released by a major record label, Epic. The move to a larger company meant more time and better opportunities in the studio, but did not mean major changes in the group's special sound. Lyrically, there are several themes about cold and distant places.
It is a relatively long album with a playing time of one hour, and it may take some time to form an overview of the various tracks which at times slip into each other.
The best songs, in my opinion, are those that, based on the psychedlia and acoustic guitars, have a relatively classical structure base don the good melody. The first track "3rd Planet" is a great example of this and an opening that sets expectations high. The successor "Gravity Rides Everything" continues in the same track with fine vocals and well-sounding guitars.
• Some tracks are pretty experimental with weird sounds, at times nice and at other times noisy close to ugly; often with reminiscences from groups like Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground and Blur. Some of these tracks are relatively long and not neccesarly easily accessible
Among the final six tracks, I have three favorites; the short "Wild Packs of Family Dog" is a simple folkish song with harmonica and acoustic guitar. "Paper Thin Walls" is a little faster and somehow makes me think of Neutral Milk Hotel. Finally, "Lives" is another folkish thing with nice acoustic guitars.
All in all, I find this an album that requires time, with some songs quite catchy while others are more challenging.
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