A new Modest Mouse album is always an occasion for excitement here at Studio One (and in my own family, for that matter), and this one sounds especially worth getting excited about. One of the most important alternative rock bands ever is set to release their new album An Eraser And A Maze later this spring. It’s their first album in five years, and their first on an independent label since 1997.
“For this one, I turned off my filter and just let it all happen. Even though every g**damn musician says that when they put out a record,” said lead singer and songwriter Isaac Brock, in a statement announcing the album. He shared props for public radio too: “I mean, go ahead and listen to the three-minute mark of any interview between a musician and Terry Gross …”
Hell yeah! It's good to see we can count Brock as a public radio listener.
Modest Mouse has now released two songs from the upcoming record, including the leadoff single that accompanied the album announcement. It’s called “Picking Dragons’ Pockets,” and it’s classic Modest Mouse from start to finish.
All of the hallmarks are there: the slow build, the huge dynamics, Brock singing the word “well” the way only he can, the occasionally inscrutable lyrics. Now, before making “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” the official theme song of your Dungeons & Dragons party, pay extra attention to the words. The song can only be described as the story of a man who’s desperately trying to make sense of a world that has always refused to make sense. Although, on second thought, depending on your Dungeon Master and the world they’ve created, it might be perfect for your D&D group, so go for it!
An Eraser And A Maze will be released June 5, on Glacial Pace Records. You can hear “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” on Studio One. It’s also available on streaming services, along with the rest of Modest Mouse’s music. They’ve also announced tour dates for the rest of the year, and you can find those on their website as well.
