hobie
01-04-2003, 09:10 PM
Do y'all agree w/this review that was posted on another site?
Modest Mouse
The Fruit That Ate Itself
7/10
Many people complain about Modest Mouse's long-windedness, their albums go on quite awhile, repetitve. While this, in my estimation, is just a product of Isaac having a lot to say, "the fruit that ate itself" is Modest Mouse shrunk down into 3 minute nuggets of groove and even more interesting backwards noise. The album (which is done indie-style, with K records) lasts for barely 20 minutes, but that means that Isaac and co. stick in yr. head longer, and generally do a better job than their earlier or later works. There are 3 tracks of simply joyful noises, Modest Mouse records spinning backwards, which require no talent, but are among the most interesting Modest Mouse, and they are necessary for the album. Debatably, "the fruit that ate itself" contains Modest Mouse's 2 greatest songs, "sunspots in the house of the late scapegoat", which just grooves and rolls catchy as ever, and "summer" - a very pretty tune. Isaac's vocals are very raw overall, a good thing. The rekkerd has some faults, notably: Karma's Payment. It suffers from being the most boring song, but also the last, so the conclusion to the great album is merely... below average. The song is saved by a clever lyric (which you could get just from reading the title) and an excellent whistle in the background. "Dirty Fingernails" is unbearable in parts as well, yet if listened to closely, it can be soothing, which makes this song definetly very odd indeed. Also, the artwork is horrendous, and liner notes dont exist.
The answer: this is modest mouse. If you like the band, then you should get the album, it will be among yr. favorites by them. If you like interesting indie rock, this short album is the place to start for Modest Mouse, as its everything the band is about (the large amounts of clever lyrics, catchiness, strained vox, great drumming, groovy) in short morsels, held together with consistency. You aren't missing a classic or stupendous album by not owning this, just a (too) short summary of one of the most interesting bands making music today.
Modest Mouse
The Fruit That Ate Itself
7/10
Many people complain about Modest Mouse's long-windedness, their albums go on quite awhile, repetitve. While this, in my estimation, is just a product of Isaac having a lot to say, "the fruit that ate itself" is Modest Mouse shrunk down into 3 minute nuggets of groove and even more interesting backwards noise. The album (which is done indie-style, with K records) lasts for barely 20 minutes, but that means that Isaac and co. stick in yr. head longer, and generally do a better job than their earlier or later works. There are 3 tracks of simply joyful noises, Modest Mouse records spinning backwards, which require no talent, but are among the most interesting Modest Mouse, and they are necessary for the album. Debatably, "the fruit that ate itself" contains Modest Mouse's 2 greatest songs, "sunspots in the house of the late scapegoat", which just grooves and rolls catchy as ever, and "summer" - a very pretty tune. Isaac's vocals are very raw overall, a good thing. The rekkerd has some faults, notably: Karma's Payment. It suffers from being the most boring song, but also the last, so the conclusion to the great album is merely... below average. The song is saved by a clever lyric (which you could get just from reading the title) and an excellent whistle in the background. "Dirty Fingernails" is unbearable in parts as well, yet if listened to closely, it can be soothing, which makes this song definetly very odd indeed. Also, the artwork is horrendous, and liner notes dont exist.
The answer: this is modest mouse. If you like the band, then you should get the album, it will be among yr. favorites by them. If you like interesting indie rock, this short album is the place to start for Modest Mouse, as its everything the band is about (the large amounts of clever lyrics, catchiness, strained vox, great drumming, groovy) in short morsels, held together with consistency. You aren't missing a classic or stupendous album by not owning this, just a (too) short summary of one of the most interesting bands making music today.