Some albums need no introduction. A collection of songs so accessible they have become embedded into the pantheon of pop culture imagining a world without its presence seems unfathomable. This kind of album comes around very rarely and many that we believe to be something special end up falling out of our conversations without anyone even noticing. In today’s age, this happens often. A song could be the biggest sensation one day and completely forgotten the next, the artists who tirelessly work to avoid such a demise are the ones that listeners grow close connections with. For Modest Mouse and frontman Isaac Brock, this did not happen until their fourth album but when it did, it felt like the world came to a stop.
On April 6, 2004, Modest Mouse released Good News for People Who Love Bad News. From an outsider’s perspective, this feels like the album that changed it all for the band. Outside of its obvious successes including a Grammy and double platinum status, the creative risks taken here elevated the band to a new level. The songwriting is personal, and the many styles of the vocal performances, and the ambitious arrangements ultimately made this album the success it continues to be. It is very rare when a full album can be undeniable, songs and performances within a tracklist can be considered unforgettable and most albums have at least one of these moments. For all 16 songs on Good News for People Who Love Bad News to have this much staying power is a testament to the band’s headspace those two decades ago and speaks even more to their talent that we’re still here discussing these songs twenty years later.
We’re all familiar with the global hits this album produced. “Float On” blossomed into a modern-day classic and “Ocean Breathes Salty” is a stunning slow-burning single that took on a life of its own upon release. These singles are known around the world, but it is the nuance of these songs and the album at large that gave it its longevity. The chaotic vocal performance of “Dance Hall” can turn any wallflower into a dancing machine while “This Devil’s Workday” is a wonky blues tune with abstract horn melodies. The way Modest Mouse was able to implement these moments of avant-garde rock into a smashing success showcases the fearlessness needed to create classic music. In 2004, the likes of Green Day and My Chemical Romance were reaching new heights of popularity, Modest Mouse quickly juxtaposed their cinematic releases of that year for something they can call their own.
Rather than falling in line with the times, Modest Mouse took a sharp right turn and went down a road less traveled. Rather than scenic mountain views and breathtaking forests lining this road, the album seems to embody a dark city street with dive bars booming with customers and live music. The energy the band was able to capture on their fourth album was, and arguably still is, incomparable. Rock was at a turning point with The Killers producing equally impactful smash hits, Modest Mouse made sure to separate themselves. They achieved this by containing their frenzied musicianship in tight song structures, giving this tracklist the explosiveness it needs to be different and the catchiness it needs to achieve its staying power.
