Rank 'Em: Modest Mouse

Listen to Blake & Jake discuss the second best Modest Mouse album below!

DISCLAIMER: Since Blake & Jake focused on ranking The OC seasons, our editorial staff took some time to rank their favourite Modest Mouse albums.

6. Strangers to Ourselves

It may be because there hasn’t been enough time to view the album through nostalgia tinted lens yet, but Modest Mouse’s latest album, 2015’s Strangers to Ourselves ranks last among their output. It seems that after 20+ years and multiple lineup changes, making an album transitioned from being a labour of love to just labour, and it’s evident in the solid, yet uninspiring songs that comprise the album.

5. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

‘We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank’ is Modest Mouse at their conceptual best, finding a way to incorporate new sounds and members (with Johnny Marr of the Smiths joining the band on guitar), while sticking to a strong nautical theme with their lyrics and palette. Filled with pop-crossovers like 'We've Got Everything', and 'Dashboard', the album is an enjoyable listen all the way through.

4. This Is A Long Drive for Someone With Nothing To Think About

Their debut album, 1996's 'This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About' is a collection of heartfelt, emotional reflections of live on the road. A patchwork of influences, filled with grunge and emo notes along side slightly jazzy and off-kilter percussion, the album was a great introduction to a band still crafting their own unique sound.

3. The Lonesome Crowded West

The follow up to their debut, 1997's 'The Lonesome Crowded West', is another collection of wistful, introspective songs about life on the road. Ranging from acoustic ballads to trash bangers, the album grabs the listener and brings you directly into the head of frontman Isaac Brock, which is a very interesting place to be, as proven by the success of the band.

2. Good News for People Who Love Bad News

2004’s ‘Good News for People Who Love Bad News’ is the album that burst Modest Mouse, and their creative album naming, onto the mainstream. Lead by their surprise smash hit ‘Float On’, the album was a triumph, managing to the please the fans who had followed them from their older, more experimental indie albums, as well as the new fans who were drawn in by the single. An mix of pop, indie rock, funk, and strange vocal yelps, the album contained enough quality and diversity to please new and old followers alike.

1. The Moon and Antarctica

The band's 2001 release, 'The Moon and Antarctica', is the band at their best and most fully realized. Through the moody instrumentals and darker atmospherics than their previous work, the band manages to achieve an emotional depth that resonates, and leaves the album standing firmly as their best project.