Track Listing

1. March Into The Sea
2. Dashboard
3. Fire It Up
4. Florida
5. Parting Of The Sensory
6. Missed The Boat
7. We've Got Everything
8. Fly Trapped In A Jar
9. Education
10. Little Motel
11. Steam Engenius
12. Spitting Venom
13. People As Places As People
14. Invisible

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7054 in Music
• Released on: 2007-04-02
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Their last album may have given them a certifiable radio hit, airtime on VH1, and a Kidz Bop tribute, but listening to the follow-up to 2004's Good News for People Who Love Bad News, you might get the sense that the members of Modest Mouse are flinching at the spotlight. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, the group's fifth full-length release, is denser than its predecessor with tunes that seem willfully harder to penetrate. Even the addition of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr to the line-up seems incidental, as Modest Mouse's off-kilter sound stays largely intact. But keep listening and it becomes obvious that the band hasn't lost any of his pop bite, especially midway through with a sweep of terrific songs like "Missed the Boat," "Education" and "Little Motel." It's hard to tell if there's another "Float On" in the bunch. In fact, the first single, "Dashboard," is one of the weakest Isaac Brock has ever penned. With Shins James Mercer adding lovely vocals to "Florida," however, it hardly matters. --Aidin Vaziri

CD Description
Fifth album, following 2004's 'Good News For People Who Love Bad News', from cult US indie rock band. On this release they continue to evolve their unique multifaceted sound, incorporating string arrangements and electronic elements without ever compromising their distinct identity. Features guitarwork by the band's newest member, Smiths legend Johnny Marr, and backing vocals from James Mercer of The Shins. Includes the single 'Dashboard'.

Customer Reviews

They've got everything!
I must admit that throwing this album on for the first time was a bit of a nerve-wrecking experience as I have absolutely fallen in love with their back catalog and didn't want to be dissapointed.

Thankfully the first track is brilliant and catchy enough that all my fears were immediately eased. I did find myself listening out for which parts of the album were Marr's or Mercer's being a Smiths and Shins fan as well. However with the second listen it all came together perfectly.

The stand out tracks for me are Dashboard (single material), We've Got Everything (lyrically brilliant) and the insanely catchy Shins-esque Missed the Boat. Yet, like all Modest Mouse albums it can only be truly appreciated when listened to from start to finish. No other band around hold your attention quite like Isaac Brock and the boys.

The rapid changes of pace from crazed pop perfection to sleepy meandering riffage all held together with bizarrely enthralling lyrics can only be truly appreciated after multiple listens. I have only had this album two days and listened to it 4 times and I can quite confidently assert that if you were a fan before you'll have 14 more resons to love them afterwards.

If you've never listened to them, this is a great introduction to one of the best, most inventive bands around at the moment. A word of warning though if you fall in love with Modest Mouse then you better have some money in the old bank account because you won't be able to resist their other, equally brilliant albums.

...
Modest Mouse have been around long enough now to know that you can't just write an album like clockwork every couple of years and expect it to sell just like the last one. You have to keep adding new things into the melting pot and changing or building on your style, only then do I, anyway, regard an outfit as a real band. I must admit I was a bit worried when I heard of the addition of The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, because frankly, it sounded a bit contrived.

Lucky, my fears were ill founded and that wasn't the case. And, coincidently, this is a brilliant album. Best tracks, for me, are the angry opener 'March Into The Sea', 'Parting Of The Sensory', 'Fly Trapped In A Jar' and 'Spitting Venom'. It amazes me how different this record is to 'Good News...' and that isn't a bad thing.

They won't ever have as much charm as they did in their early days, but they are far from comfortable and writing tepid, transparent music that many bands do once they reach this stage. If you like even some of Modest Mouses' old material then I would give this album a listen, because it's better than the majority of British bands' output at the minute.

March on!!

I played it twelve times in three days
I came to this album because of the Marr connection having never heard Modest Mouse before. I didn't think I'd find an album as good as this ever again. I was wrong. Album of the year. I'll check out the other albums by Modest Mouse now.