Sound: You wouldn't think of the small Washington town of Issaquah being the music capital of the country. However, the Issaquah trio of Modest Mouse uses their isolation from the world to their advantage to create a very lonely and spacey vibe that is present in all of their songs. The perfect example of this signature sound is well-placed in their astonishing Up-records 70 minute debut, “This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Thing About.”
"Dramamine," the bands signature song, sums up the bands deserted sound as the albums repetitive opener. From the eerie bass line and the well placed bent harmonics and guitar riffs, the song will most likely send you into the dark atmosphere the album creates. Thus the trip into the vastness of the human mind begins...
The rest of the album is filled with odd time signatures, rough and jagged guitar riffs, sloppy drum and bass riffs, and constant repetition. Songs go from soft numbers (Talking Sh*t About a Pretty Sunset) to exploding post-punk (Tundra/Desert), and even spacey jams (Custom Concern) all in the same track. The use of cellos and mandolins on selected tracks add a beautiful quality to the minimalist band. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: Isaac Brock's desolate and gloomy lyrics create a perfect vibe and atmosphere that is incomparable to most indie and mainstream rock artists. The lonely and “open and lonely America” influenced poetry sets the stage for Isaac’s singing (or lack there of) to be showcased with perfect amounts of emotion. His cracking and often forced voice is the PERFECT accompaniment for tracks like “Breakthrough” and “Beach Side Property.” A female voice is even present on some of the albums softer and balanced tracks. // 10
Impression: “This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About” is an amazing debut for a band that comes out of the bowels of the isolated and forgotten part of the country. The album is a schizophrenic trip down the human soul. I recommend this album to any collection or any person who is willing to travel down the lonely highways of our country and our minds. // 10
