It's been a long time since I've included a "What I'm listening to now" section in a blog post, but as I'm up late tonight doing some work I should have done earlier this afternoon, I have to tell you about an album I got at the end of break that has grabbed me in a way that, generally speaking, only Radiohead albums can. It's not a particularly obscure album, and its sound is only tangentially similar to Radiohead's, but I'm enjoying it so much that I need to share it with anyone who may have passed it by when it came out last year. I did, and I'm glad that I corrected this oversight and took a risk on it... albeit a risk that only cost me a few bucks after a $10 Walmart gift card. Before I reveal this album's identity, I'll leave some space so that you can try and guess the album before reading on...
Any guesses? I'll give you a little more time...
It's Modest Mouse's "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank". I'm not a huge Modest Mouse fan, as the only other album of theirs that I own is "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" (me, and everyone else who was charmed by "Float On"), but I liked enough of that album that I was intrigued when I heard they had released a new one. But it slipped out of my mind, until I happened to stumble upon it at Walmart at the end of break. And holy crap, it is fantastic. It is the most cohesive album I've heard in ages, where each song gives way to the next one organically and contributes to a unified sound. I still can't understand half of what Isaac Brock (the band's lead singer) is singing without listening very closely, but I'm ok with songs that aren't easily singable, and the lyrics that I do understand (and read in the liner notes), along with the contribution of Brock's characteristic (sometimes growling, often malevolently tinged) voice, more than make up for that deficiency. I'll admit that the album didn't connect with me immediately, probably because I initially heard part of it in the car and part of it at home, but after about 3 full listen-throughs over as many days, I'm hooked.
If you suspect that your musical tastes resemble mine in any way, check out this album. I was hoping that I would like it, but I was shocked to find out just how good it is. I can't believe I missed it last year.
PS - This week, and maybe next week too, will be especially busy for me, as I'm back from break and, though I did make some progress on other fronts over break, still swamped with honors thesis work. I'll try to keep up my semi-weekly schedule, but don't be shocked if things suddenly get very quiet here.
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