Modest Mouse : An Eraser and a Maze
Isaac Brock has been knocking it out at the leader of Modest Mouse for 30 years, and he remains sole original member going into their eighth album An Eraser and a Maze. The first studio album from the long-running Pacific Northwestern band to be released on their own Glacial Pace label, a move that comes with more artistic freedom and presumably fewer suits breathing down their neck, An Eraser and a Maze was originally written for Brock’s solo project, Ugly Casanova. Instead, he fleshed it out for his better-known band, and right from the first song, “Pickin’ Dragons Pockets,” it’s evident that their style of quirky indie rock has not changed dramatically since 2004’s Good News For People Who Love Bad News, though they make some strides into forays like the folky, organic introspection of “Remember Yourself.”
Brock loosens his belt and lays back into a ’60s-flavored groove for “Life’s a Dream.” His voice feels warmer, relaxing against the flowing layers of sound dripping down from behind him. A lot of fans will still point to The Moon & Antarctica as the band’s best album, the last of their albums before they found their way onto mainstream radio. And while there might not be speculative lyrics about aliens here, “Third Side of the Moon” gives you just a glimpse back in that direction.
Brock brings his band background for a second helping of quirky folk with the strummed twang of “Dogbed in Heaven,” which is connected to “Give it a Skeleton,” a lyrical puzzle of a song that holds more in common with their early work. Not all of the songs feel as organically arranged. For example, “Speak ‘N’ Spell (Or Not)” feels like Brock is arranging sounds in a collage of what the bigger picture of Modest Mouse should feel like to their fanbase, weaving his wacky wonderment to fit into the box of expectations his 30-year career has amassed over the years.
Still, most of the time they hit the mark soundly, yet the album’s most interesting moments come when Brock and company take their signature sound and pair it with a newer approach. One of these is “Rotten Fruit,” a collaboration with producer Justin Raisen, who has also worked with Charli XCX and Kim Gordon. He is not the only one bringing the modern pop touches to this album as the band willingly breaks out hook-heavy grooves on “Absolutley Necessary Never.” It’s an effective move, and might have been a more interesting direction to see the band go in on a larger scale. While the album is littered with instrumental interludes, Brock also proves himself capable of making the most of two minutes on “Song About Nothing,” which has some punk energy, as well as the abbreviated “Look How Far.”
While there aren’t that many big swings, An Eraser and a Maze is an enjoyable listen that falls safely within the band’s wheelhouse, outside of the few refreshing collaborative pop moments. With 30 years in the rearview, there is little second-guessing for Modest Mouse, but the record sounds great, and the band are in no danger of settling into easy-listening indie as the wheels of time roll on. But don’t expect a concept album about aliens either.
Label: Glacial Pace
Year: 2026
Similar Albums:
