30 Years Later: Modest Mouse Creates Distinctive Indie Rock Direction On Debut ‘This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About’

In 2004, late-nineties indie rock darlings, Modest Mouse, became unlikely fixtures on the Billboard charts. Their Good News For People Who Love Bad News LP produced the now-classic pop-rock anthems “Ocean Breathes Salty” and the genre-defining “Float On,” skyrocketing the Isaac Brock-led outfit to the forefront of popular music and cementing their storied legacy among fellow beloved acts from the early 2000s. The fact that a band with such experimental, genre-crossing tendencies could not only break through in a crowded scene but also rise even further to the top of the charts is a testament to what Modest Mouse fanatics already knew. 

Before “Float On” landed on every last iPod in America, Modest Mouse were living a humble life as a successful-enough, heady pop-rock act. Their discography to this point has been brimming with sonic left turns into exciting new directions, and their ambitions have been clear from the beginning. Modest Mouse’s journey to their first massive hit began thirty years ago, on April 16, 2006, with the release of This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About, the debut album from Modest Mouse. Produced by Steve Wold and recorded at Moon Studios in Olympia, Washington, not too far from where the trio formed in Issaquah. The 16-song, daring debut set the tone for what would become a fruitful, colorful career for Brock, Eric Judy, and Jeremiah Green. Still, beyond the band’s legacy, This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About is an unbelievable debut in its own right. 

While Modest Mouse has far outgrown and creatively surpassed their earlier material, the daring, artsy nature of their proper studio debut is not to be ignored. Even compared to Sad Sappy Sucker, which was originally slated to be the band’s debut before it was shelved due to delays and later released in 2001, the kaleidoscopic, genre-bending outing is a bold statement from a young band. Brock’s cartoonish and exaggerated guitar riffs, Green’s punk-influenced drum patterns, and the intrinsic grooves of Judy’s bass, Modest Mouse’s debut album captures an innovative band in their adolescence, yet still manages to be a striking, stunning piece of indie rock history that, at the time, refused to be labeled as such. 

From the psych-rock, prog-style opening number “Dramamine,” to the thrashing minimalism of “Ionizes & Atomizes,” This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About refuses complacency and embraces chaos. This hour and fifteen minutes worth of music is relentless creativity finally breaking through to the public through a wide release, and Modest Mouse wasn’t about to let that opportunity slide. They captivate with twisting cuts like “Beach Side Property,” dip into searing punk on “Exit Does Not Exist,” and toy with expectations on the explosive “Head South.” While the dynamics of this tracklist are intricate, it is hard to ignore the amount of ground covered throughout this debut album, although the music world at large failed to take notice. 

The lukewarm reception to Modest Mouse’s debut record should not come as a surprise, especially considering how risky it sounds compared to even some albums today. Upon its release, This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About received a 6.8/10 from Pitchfork, which was changed to an 8.5/10 in 2014, and an A- from the famous Christgau’s Consumer Guide. 
Modest Mouse may not have broken through with their debut, but This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About is far from an album to ignore. The adventurous debut from the young trio was a bold statement that paved the way for Modest Mouse to prove their prowess on later albums, and it is well worth a listen on its thirtieth anniversary.