A review by kathrynw12
Modest Mouse: A Pretty Good Read by Alan Goldsher

informative reflective fast-paced

2.5

The reviews of this book are generally negative, and for the most part they’re right. Goldsher goes into way too much detail on the musical analysis of every track on every album which is 1) not interesting and 2) hard to support given that Isaac Brock openly said he had no background in music theory. It’s more focused on Brock than Modest Mouse, which made the title feel like a misnomer. I don’t agree with his classification of them as a lo-fi band because “indie rock” is not a genre but a record label designation. Any cult indie band from The Shins to Arctic Monkeys would wholeheartedly disagree because while it is based on them recording with an independent label, it’s also a subversion away from a mainstream pop sound. I did like that he scolds the hardcore fans for either judging people for jumping on the bandwagon after Good News for People Who Love Bad News or abandoning them for “selling out.” To be honest, Modest Mouse’s early sound was not great. Good News is a more cohesive album that still has a strong sound. I’m curious what Modest Mouse thought about this book and Goldsher’s alleged attempts to get their input on it.