After multiple delays, Modest Mouse's brand new EP has finally seen a release. Was it worth the wait? Is it true that the band is catastrophically going nowhere after their previous two fan-proclaimed abortions? Here's a full track play-by-play, void of (most) personal opinions for your reading pleasure.
"Satellite Skin" leads off the extended play in a form that's been missed since 3rd Planet, followed by Isaac Brock's drunken barking on the upbeat "Guilty Cocker Spaniels." Fans of Conor Oberst will seemingly enjoy the mellow folk pop of "Autumn Beds," before getting thrown into the ocean of "The Whale Song"'s piercing guitar riffs and dense vocal loops. Modest Mouse hasn't jammed like this since The Moon & Antarctica, so it's sure to be a treat for the close-minded kids of the band's catalog.
The second half (or side B to us vinyl and cassette junkies) jumps into "Perpetual Motion Machine": a jazzy lounge number that wouldn't be unlike a Tom Waits concoction, featuring slick brass and a smooth Brock. "History Sticks to Your Feet" seems to be the only generic Mouse track on here, but is completely forgiven for the inclusion of two excellent b-sides that finally get a wide release: "King Rat" and "I've Got It All (Most)." The former strikes you with whimsical imagery of a howling Isaac Brock having a jaunty stroll through a town's mischief-filled cobblestone walkways, while the latter closes up the compilation in one of the greatest crescendos Modest Mouse has penned.
In retrospect, No One's First, and You're Next stacks up well with the band's past EPs, and it documents nicely the varied happenings behind their last two studio albums. However, only time will tell what the next progression will be for the Mouse.
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