Album Rating: 3.0

Album is half really good, half really boring. Again, no one's first is the real prize from this "era"

Album Rating: 4.0

Out of that run Motel and Fly Trapped are solid, like 3.25 tier, fine when they're on but I wouldn't miss 'em. I guess if I wanted to cut this to a more digestible length I might keep them and just drop We've Got, Education, and Engenius. As is my 4 is a tad generous tbh but I guess the good material stands out more than the weak stuff detracts.

We've Got has a really gorgeous bridge and Engenius is my peak guilty pleasure from this, but tbf if anything's gonna get chopped, those three are probably the ones
Apart from Fire It Up acc. Always try to forget about that one

Album Rating: 4.0

Fire It Up isn’t amazing but I enjoy it quite a bit for being possibly the most archetypal post-Moon Modest Mouse song imaginable. It’s Modest Mouse on total autopilot but not in a boring way.

I think it might be my least favourite of all their singles (excluding new alb ones that I haven't heard) tbh, always found really grating and lethargic. Dashboard does a much better job of the fundaments

Album Rating: 4.0

I quite like Education



Last two songs on this I'd cut in an instant - but I get people like them



10 track album would be:



1. March Into the Sea [4]

2. Dashboard [4]

3. Fire it Up [3.5]

4. Florida [4]

5. Parting of the Sensory [5]

6. Missed the Boat [4.5]

7. Fly Trapped [3.5]

8. Education [3.5]

9. Little Motel [4]

10. Spitting Venom [5]



Everything else here I rate 3.0 or less



For comparison on the new one I only rate four songs 3.5 and the rest are 3.0 or less

Album Rating: 3.5

fire it up is really boring and kills the momentum of the opening duo, which fortunately florida picks right up



we've got everything has moments i like (notably the bridge) but it can get grating, and ive never been big on steam/education. bless the no ones first tracks for owning and serving as easy sub ins tho

Album Rating: 4.0

I prefer 'Lampshades on Fire' to both 'Dashboard' and 'Float On' now which was a strange development recently, kinda feel bad about it

that is v weird and I don't know how to feel about it, so ig PARTY ON!

Album Rating: 4.0

Last two songs on this I'd cut in an instant

Album Rating: 3.5

imo they only feel like afterthoughts following spitting venom. invisible is bursting w energy and people has some of the records most tuneful guitarwork. both woulda fit better in the middle of the record

Album Rating: 4.0

Eh, I like how Invisible works as a sort of "wake-up call" in the same way that the closer on The Moon and Antarctica does. If anything, Spitting Venom is the one that doesn't really fit the flow here.

Album Rating: 4.0

Listening to the last two now



Yeah People as Places I find very meh, one of their least exciting middle 8s in particular

Album Rating: 4.0

The ‘saline tea’ bit is ok on the last one, the rest is Bad Brock for me - too Tasmanian devil, find it way less agreeable than say, the new one’s opener.



Also - another REALLY bad middle 8

Album Rating: 3.5

whats a middle 8?

A bridge.

Album Rating: 3.5

ah gotcha never heard that before



bridge in people as places as people is admittedly the worst part of the song but invisible's owns. would be my fav part of the song if not for the outro

Album Rating: 4.0

Middle 8 is a specific bridge but yeah it’s a bridge around the middle of the track - it’s often where you find the laziest/least inspired section of a song

Album Rating: 3.8

Tracks 7-11 are pretty disposable [2] if you rearrange the rest and maybe add a few tracks from No One's First, then it might have a chance of rivaling Good News.

Album Rating: 4.0

I'd say 7 AND 11 are disposable, but 8-10 are all good. Fly Trapped in a Jar might be one of their more underrated tracks. Total banger

This recently surpassed Good News for me. Post TM&A Modest Mouse ranking:

No One's First>We Were Dead>Good News>STO>Golden Casket