MODEST MOUSE - No One's First And You're Next 12"

Label: Epic

Every few years, Modest Mouse builds up enough odds and ends to warrant a compilation, but unlike with most bands, MM’s leftovers often end up among its best. No One’s First, And You’re Next mostly features outtakes from 2007’s Johnny Marr-assisted We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, which were released over the last few months on limited-edition 7-inch singles.

Fans of the nautical-themed disc (and of the so-called “Marrdest Mouse” in general) will find plenty to love here: “Satellite Skin” finds Isaac Brock in his radio-friendliest mode since “Float On,” tempering feral shouts with sweet backing vocals and half-resigned melodies, while “Guilty Cocker Spaniels” is one of his itchiest, crankiest, and best in years, switching from a cracked-vocal half-rap to a towering pile of layered guitars. So while it doesn’t exactly have the cohesive through-line of Modest Mouse’s epic full-lengths, No One’s First still captures solid energy from a band riding a long-ass peak.