Strangers to Ourselves
by Modest Mouse
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Mar 17, 2015
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 84
  3. Negative: 2 out of 84
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  1. Custom_Concerns
    Mar 23, 2015
    5
    Modest Mouse is my absolutely favorite band. The Moon & Antarctica is my favorite album with The Lonesome Crowded West right behind. However, their latest effort, Strangers to Ourselves, is disappointingly average - especially for these veteran indie rockers. There are a few highlights, but I feel this is undeniably their worst album to date.
  2. BeauFuller
    Mar 24, 2015
    10
    This album is great, just like the rest of their albums. Don't fall for the early reviews saying that it's bad, let it sink in and you'll realize that it's just as great as all of the rest of the Modest Mouse albums.

    Can't wait for the follow up album later this year or early next year.
  3. Silent8
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    The first time I heard Modest Mouse was in late 1996 or early 97 when my former house mate came back from Seattle with a bootleg cassette, "The Lonesome Crowded West". To me, that album was a miracle at a time like 1997. I've lapped up every EP and full length they ever put out. Every album has been an experience that I absorb slowly. It's too complex to wrap your head around all at once.The first time I heard Modest Mouse was in late 1996 or early 97 when my former house mate came back from Seattle with a bootleg cassette, "The Lonesome Crowded West". To me, that album was a miracle at a time like 1997. I've lapped up every EP and full length they ever put out. Every album has been an experience that I absorb slowly. It's too complex to wrap your head around all at once. Too unique to just mindlessly bop your way through on the first listen. Every album has been an incredible and unraveling experience, including this one. I'm really happy that Lisa Molinaro from Talk Demonic is with them now, sad about Eric Judy. I think Pitch Forks review is total crap. They accuse them of selling out then bash them over "Pistol" not being poppy enough. Pistol is Isaac making a statement without giving a **** what anyone thinks. The album was cultivated in Portland (which is echoed throughout track 3) at Isaacs house, with locally infused musical greats. They are the farthest thing from sellouts or fade outs, and i'm really happy with this album.… Expand
  4. uptightanymore
    Apr 5, 2015
    10
    This is another great Modest Mouse album. You may need to listen more than once before you really begin to enjoy some of the songs. I think it was worth the wait.
  5. revillo
    Mar 19, 2015
    9
    It's always funny to watch reviewers scramble to make heads or tails of a slow burner like this on the day after it comes out. Notice that everyone seems to be in agreement that the album is pretty good but no two people can say which are the best tracks or which one is unequivocal failure. "Pistol?? That's so unlike them to sound so trashy. Sugar Boats is a demented haunted carnival ride!It's always funny to watch reviewers scramble to make heads or tails of a slow burner like this on the day after it comes out. Notice that everyone seems to be in agreement that the album is pretty good but no two people can say which are the best tracks or which one is unequivocal failure. "Pistol?? That's so unlike them to sound so trashy. Sugar Boats is a demented haunted carnival ride! Where's the Modest Mouse that made such radio friendly singles as Float On or Missed the Boat." And the best track? Is it Ansel, Coyote, Best room, Lampshades, The Ground Walks!?! Well I got news for y'all, it's one of the best Modest Mouse albums ever and for the first time in a long while we're getting something approaching sincerity from Brock, with this apocalyptic, agonizing, indeterminate, un-obsessive nuclear meltdown, that sounds like it was recorded in spontaneous spurts over a lifetime. Be brave! Be Brave!… Expand
  6. jboknows
    Mar 19, 2015
    7
    After a near-decade hiatus, I'm happy to report that Modest Mouse is still... Modest Mouse. This album contains a few gems: specific favourites thus far include Lampshades on Fire and the Tortoise and the Tourist, but there are a few songs just feel like they don't belong. Perhaps the biggest mistake I can think of on any recent album (album ever?) is Pistol. Why in the world did theyAfter a near-decade hiatus, I'm happy to report that Modest Mouse is still... Modest Mouse. This album contains a few gems: specific favourites thus far include Lampshades on Fire and the Tortoise and the Tourist, but there are a few songs just feel like they don't belong. Perhaps the biggest mistake I can think of on any recent album (album ever?) is Pistol. Why in the world did they choose to allow this on an otherwise pretty-good new album? Very, very, frustrating, especially if you will be listening on vinyl like me. The digital version on my phone and computer have already deleted this song... I get nostalgia and wanting to show something from your earlier catalogue... but at least make sure it's a decent track. Without that one song, this album goes from a 7 to an 8.… Expand
  7. molecular
    Mar 17, 2015
    8
    Overall a very good album. The production is more meticulous than previous albums but what would one expect after eight years? One very stinky song though, probably the worst in their cannon "Pistol". At least it is at the end of side one and easy to skip.
  8. Bedgypooks
    Mar 17, 2015
    8
    I just got done my first listen and I figured I'd review this now since I'd already listened to a third of the album a lot before release. I wish I hadn't listened to all the songs released on their vevo because it kind of ruined the album for me, but here's what I think.

    The title track and ending track are near perfect for a modest mouse album, just plain beautiful start and finish.    I just got done my first listen and I figured I'd review this now since I'd already listened to a third of the album a lot before release. I wish I hadn't listened to all the songs released on their vevo because it kind of ruined the album for me, but here's what I think.

    The title track and ending track are near perfect for a modest mouse album, just plain beautiful start and finish. "Lampshades on fire" is their accessible hit, as well as "Ground Walks", and they're both equally great. Ground walks has such a Talking Heads vibe to it and is one of my new favourite songs from this band that continues to change it up and amaze me. "The Best Room" is another Single that sounds similar to the two previously mentioned, it's still a nice song but it doesn't push past anything for me. **** in your Cut" sounds Deep Purple or Black Sabbath influenced, with a little ironic sound to it. It really works and the chorus is just great. "Ansel" is nice and has a Caribbean vibe to it, reminds me of Cabron by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in the way the instruments are played, but the lyrics are far deeper. All of the lyrics are literally and figuratively beautiful and thought-provoking, like all of their previous albums. "Coyotes" is okay. "Pups to dust" is a fun little song, reminds me something Ugly Casanova would have done, but the guitar goes back to the Moon and Antarctica. "Be Brave" doesn't really sound like something Modest Mouse would do, but I really like it. I can't really put my foot on what it reminds me of, but maybe Arcade Fire or Black Keys, It feels close to heart though. I mean the vocals obviously sound like Isaac, but it just doesn't sound like MM. "The Tortoise and the Tourist" is a nice track, again grabbing back to The Moon and Antarctica's guitar sound, with the chorus sounding really personal and the bass sounds really low.

    Now let's get to the bad. "Pistol" is one of the most annoying things to find on this album, it's like a bad dance track that Paris Hilton or Kesha would sing, I don't know what the **** Isaac was thinking, if he was listening to some LCD Soundsystem and figured he would go for a similar sound, but the demonic voice and beats just don't work for this album. "Sugar Boats" and "God is an Indian and you're an **** both suffer from sounding like they belong on another album, sure they would have been fine as a B-side to King Rat and "God is an Indian" could be an interlude on Good News for People who Love Bad News.

    I'll rate it an 8. If they took out those sound I didn't like, especially Pistol, It would have been a 10. I would rather a 40 minute album that flowed than having those few extra songs.    … Expand
  9. JacobFryland
    Mar 17, 2015
    8
    Now let me start off with saying that I have not been a Modest Mouse fan since their beginning. I, like many others, heard Float On playing on the radio and immediately fell in love and then proceeded to download Good News For People Who Love Bad News. I have since gone back and listened to all their previous albums and EPs so I feel I have gained the right to be able to voice my opinionNow let me start off with saying that I have not been a Modest Mouse fan since their beginning. I, like many others, heard Float On playing on the radio and immediately fell in love and then proceeded to download Good News For People Who Love Bad News. I have since gone back and listened to all their previous albums and EPs so I feel I have gained the right to be able to voice my opinion on the band's latest effort, Strangers to Ourselves. STO feels very similar to the the last two albums, Good News For People Who Love Bad News and We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank due to the fact that it features songs that would work perfectly on the radio like Lampshades on Fire and The Best Room but then also features some weird song to balance it out. The weirdest song on this album, at least in my opinion, is Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996) which has Isaac Broke half speaking, half singing in a unsettling low voice. The album also gives us some slower tracks which include title track and Coyotes that gives listens a nice break before the album picks up again. My favorite tracks are Sugar Boats, which feels like it would fit well providing the soundtrack to a video in which a circus falls apart, and Be Brave, which just instantly connected with me for reasons that I have not yet uncovered. In the end, this album adds to the impressive discography that Modest Mouse fans have come to love and shows that no talent or passion was lost over the eight years between this and the last album.… Expand
  10. KaizerAlex
    Mar 17, 2015
    9
    It's definitely not perfect, but after 8 whole years, it's damn good to see that Modest Mouse still sounds like Modest Mouse. What is there more to wish for?
  11. Ricko
    Oct 11, 2015
    8
    2007 same Modest Mouse produce "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank", the follow up to their critical and commerical hit album "Good News For People Who Like Bad News". At the time I was disappointed by "We Were Dead..." and 8 years later still find it an underwhelming listen. No doubt there are a number of reasons for the delay but the fact that the band have waited 8 years to release2007 same Modest Mouse produce "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank", the follow up to their critical and commerical hit album "Good News For People Who Like Bad News". At the time I was disappointed by "We Were Dead..." and 8 years later still find it an underwhelming listen. No doubt there are a number of reasons for the delay but the fact that the band have waited 8 years to release another album might suggest they felt some sense of disappointment with that record. "Strangers to Ourselves", while not without its flaws, is worth the wait, combining the best parts of Modest Mouse's history. You can hear the rough edged indie rock of "The Moon and Antarctica" as well as the shiny pop sensibilities of "Good News..." scattered throughout. It is an out and out Modest Mouse record but brings a decent amount of freshness to the table with a modern touch. Any open minded MM fan will take some enjoyment from this. "Lampshades on Fire" is one of the standout tracks but there are plenty others as well worth checking out. At 15 tracks, it could easily jettison 3 or 4 songs and this is definitely a fault. Turn this into an 11 track album and you would have had a corker.… Expand
  12. MetaCam
    Mar 28, 2015
    6
    I got hooked on Modest Mouse about ten years ago with "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". Since then, of course, my tastes have developed as I was very young when I got into Modest Mouse, but I made sure to explore all of their older material too. When "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" was first announced, I was pumped. I enjoyed it, though it wasn't as memorable as albumsI got hooked on Modest Mouse about ten years ago with "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". Since then, of course, my tastes have developed as I was very young when I got into Modest Mouse, but I made sure to explore all of their older material too. When "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" was first announced, I was pumped. I enjoyed it, though it wasn't as memorable as albums previous to it. At this point I had basically listened to their entire discography- "The Moon and Antarctica" became my favourite of all of their releases, though I really enjoyed many songs from "This is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About" . I went into "Strangers to Ourselves" with lower-than-usual expectations, but the album was still very disappointing to me.The individually released singles all seemed strong; unfortunately it was the rest of the album that was hardly memorable- "Strangers..." is the antithesis of all of Modest Mouse's previous releases. It has very little consistency and many of the songs don't add to the album as a whole- like they're trying to recreate their older "signature sound" but coming up with a lukewarm, halfhearted mimicry of it. It does have its rewarding moments, though, in songs like Pups to Dust and The Best Room. Keep in mind, this is my opinion.… Expand
  13. Vidaluk0
    Mar 29, 2015
    9
    Modest Mouse proved with this album that they can still take risks and deliver something interesting and unpredictable, some may argue the consistency and pace of the album is out of place but these songs do fit together in the sense that, as a whole, this albums works perfectly as an amalgamation of the Modest Mouse we all love, there are pop songs for lovers of Good News era, eccentricModest Mouse proved with this album that they can still take risks and deliver something interesting and unpredictable, some may argue the consistency and pace of the album is out of place but these songs do fit together in the sense that, as a whole, this albums works perfectly as an amalgamation of the Modest Mouse we all love, there are pop songs for lovers of Good News era, eccentric anthems from We Were Dead, distorted guitars from Lonesome and Long Drive, winds and echoes from M&A. Musically the thing is rich and varied, lyrically, while not as emotional, honest or "pessimist" as their first albums, Brock delivered better lyrics than he did in We Were Dead, so overall it was all an improvement.… Expand
  14. builttospilt
    Apr 30, 2015
    9
    This album deserves a lot better than the critical reception it's getting. Is it LCW? No. Is it Moon and Antarctica? No. It's just another damn good record from one of the most consistently great bands out there. Isaac's lyricism is spot-on and brilliant as usual, and the production on this record is very good. The songs are more interesting and consistently strong than most of We WereThis album deserves a lot better than the critical reception it's getting. Is it LCW? No. Is it Moon and Antarctica? No. It's just another damn good record from one of the most consistently great bands out there. Isaac's lyricism is spot-on and brilliant as usual, and the production on this record is very good. The songs are more interesting and consistently strong than most of We Were Dead (although the stand-outs on that album are phenomenal). Lampshades on Fire has the same catchyness mixed with just the right amount of cynicism that made even pop fans fall in love with Float On, Dashboard, etc. Songs like The Ground Walks and The Tortoise and the Tourist sound more like "classic" Modest Mouse than they have in years, and Ansel and The Best Room are up there with some of the best material they've released. Overall, great album. **** most of these critics.… Expand
  15. DotComGaming
    Oct 25, 2018
    10
    I love this album. It has a wide variety of songs, like all others, BUT it shines here more than anywhere else. Also, Pistol is a great song and anyone who says otherwise can fight me.
  16. Johann7
    Jan 14, 2021
    7
    As an album, this is one of Modest Mouse's most interesting releases - certainly the most stylistically varied.

    There's plenty here that's familiar, so much so that a few tracks wind up sounding like covers or remixes of their own songs (the arrangement and melody line of Pups to Dust sounds like a reworked Dramamine, for example), while others sound like tracks cut from a number of the    As an album, this is one of Modest Mouse's most interesting releases - certainly the most stylistically varied.

    There's plenty here that's familiar, so much so that a few tracks wind up sounding like covers or remixes of their own songs (the arrangement and melody line of Pups to Dust sounds like a reworked Dramamine, for example), while others sound like tracks cut from a number of the previous releases (Lampshades on Fire is pure We Were Dead, God is an Indian belongs on Lonesome Crowded West, Coyotes sounds like Moon & Antarctica). Yet Brock & Co. are still willing to take some experimental leaps, like Pistol, a sharp divergence that sounds like nothing else MM has ever released (more like an effects-heavy Beck rap track like Novacane or Hell Yes), or The Best Room and Of Course We Know, which are less dissimilar from their previous work but still distinct.

    Thematically, the album may be Brock's most misanthropic to date - understandably (and all too relatably) so. While past work has bemoaned humanity's flaws or treated people as a perplexing other, and examining existential angst or dread is a common MM theme, the popiest song on the album is a disgusted lament about our gleeful acceleration of global warming, with horror at our rapacious parasitism and narcissistic indulgence pervading every song (see, for example, the title - which is also half the lyric - of God is an Indian and You're an A**hole, the central metaphor of The Tortoise and the Tourist, or lines like, "As sharks in sheep's clothing, pumping with our hips, filling every single corner with our soft little gifts of ourselves, getting carried, so, so carried away," in Be Brave).

    In all, it doesn't instantly grab me to the same extent as several previous releases, but there is a lot here to like, and I'm grading on a curve in the context of a truly excellent band - that's a 70% compared to the rest of Modest Mouse's catalog, not all music.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 8, 2015
    67
    Limited variety and specks of staleness can't ground the high points.
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  2. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Apr 28, 2015
    70
    If Lonesome and Moon are 10s, Good News is a 9 and Long Drive and We Were Dead are 8’s, then this gets 7/10. Definitely worth picking up for Modest Mouse fans, but those new to the band should start elsewhere.
    Read full review
  3. The 405
    Mar 31, 2015
    65
    There's plenty to like about Strangers to Ourselves; it's just that it genuinely baffles that an LP as sprawling as this can have so many different ideas, and so few new ones.
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