Seattle suburb based indie rock band Modest Mouse released their long awaited EP, “No One’s First and You’re Next” on Tuesday, August 4. The 7″ vinyl was released Friday, August 14. The album features unreleased tracks and B-sides from the band’s previous two studio albums, “Good News for People Who Love Bad News “and “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.” “No One’s First and You’re Next” was first mentioned in an issue of Rolling Stone magazine in February of 2008 with lead singer Isaac Brock in their “Smoking Section” column. Before his death in winter of 2008 Heath Ledger had started working on a music video for the seventh track included on the album “King Rat.” Co-director Daniel Auber and others completed the video, and it was later released on Aug. 4 2009, the same day that the EP was released. “No One’s First and You’re Next,” is a breath of fresh air for the seven piece band, which includes such instruments as horns, violin and the keyboard. The album has a much darker sound to it in comparison to the recently released, full-length album “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.” “Guilty Cocker Spaniels” is the second track off the album and one of the most uplifting tunes throughout the album. It’s obvious that this song was taken off the album, “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.” The vocals and long guitar solos with feedback sounds just like “Black Cadillacs,” a song off “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.” The song “Autumn Beds,” is included on the album. This track has simple lyrics, such as the chorus, “We won’t be sleeping in our autumn beds, we won’t be sleeping.” The song includes mellow drumming along with a soft guitar and banjo along with Brock’s raspy vocals is just the combination for this track. “Whale Song, one of the songs revealed in the Rolling Stone interview is track number four on the album. The song starts off slow with a steady drum beat and mellow drumming. About 45 seconds into the song, Johnny Marr starts whaling on the guitar. The song builds up eventually to overlapping vocals. Tyler Grisham from Pitchfork said of the track “Whale Song:” “Boy, is it as massively epic as the titular sea mammal.” This song is impossible not to bob heads to and block everyone and everything out to. There’s no doubt this song is the best one off the album. It sounds like neither “Good News for People Who Love Bad News” nor “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” but rather a track off of “Building Something Out Of Nothing, ” the band’s 2000 compilation album. The second to last song and second best off the album is “King Rat.” The song includes Brock laughing and semi screaming on the track. Horns, banjo and the violin can be heard on the anthem. The guitar on the song starts off like “Bukowski,” a previously recorded tune off “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.” The guitar goes into violin, which leads to Brock singing then two minutes into the song it all starts to pick up. Horns, Brock’s hoarse sinister vocals and what sounds like a cowbell are at full force for majority of the song. This song, much like, “Whale Song” is impossible not to move to.
“No One’s First and You’re Next” is recommended for any Modest Mouse fan. The album is available at Newbury Comics for $8.99