My Top 10 MM Songs
In anticipation of their new album, I figured I'd go over my top 10 MM songs, explain my reasoning and see what y'all think. Without further ado...
10 : Third Side Of The Moon
I'll admit The Golden Casket wasn't my cup of tea, but Third Side (fittingly the 3rd single off their upcoming An Eraser & A Maze album) shows Brock knows the old and new MM can not only coexist, but flourish together. With shades of Ocean Breathes Salty and even Ansel, the production and especially vocals all tie together perfectly. With time this may climb even further up the list.
9 : Ansel
Speak of the devil. Definitely the most impactful track on Strangers To Ourselves, but even if we ignore the (heartbreaking) lyrics it's also a gorgeous song with excellent drumming. The mallet percussion makes it particularly memorable.
8 : Convenient Parking
Intense both in its cynicism and instrumentation, the 3rd song off Lonesome Crowded West veers into post-hardcore territory, more punk than emo. I don't have much to say except that it's a mainstay of my playlist.
7 : Tundra/Desert
I have to admit, Long Drive doesn't appeal to me as much as I wish it did. Dramamine almost made the list, but not quite, and so I'm surprised by just how much I adore Tundra/Desert. It makes me angry in just the right way.
6 : Trailer Trash
Of all the quieter, more somber MM tracks Trailer Trash is the one I most enjoy singing, and I can't sing for shit. Incredible execution of a fairly standard concept in the lyrics.
5 : Bukowski
This is the best song on Good News, and I refuse to hear any dissenting opinions. I remember hearing Float On for the first time, then checking out the whole album, and being completely captivated by Bukowski. Helps that I enjoy the titular author, and I was going through an existential crisis at the time. Some of their best guitar work.
4 : Teeth Like God's Shoeshine
Brock opens TLCW with a vivid picture and a prolonged scream, but the most memorable part of this track for me is the softer part, the nostalgia and all-too-prescient grief for a dying America. "Here's the man with teeth like God's shoeshine / He sparkles, shimmers, shines / Let's all have another Orange Julius / Thick syrup standing in lines / The malls are the soon-to-be ghost towns / Well, so long, farewell, goodbye" is MM's best verse bar none.
3 : Lives
My favourite song off TM&A mostly because it hits home for me so much. Halfway through it undergoes a tonal shift that confused me at first, since it comes after half an hour of sheer despair, but what could've been jarring lands thanks to an exceptional second half ending in a quiet bookend. Shockingly dynamic for a 3 minute track.
2 : Parting Of The Sensory
It might be a hot take, but yes, my 2nd favourite MM song of all time is from We Were Dead. When I listen it just possesses me entirely. Reminds me a bit of Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle".
1 : Cowboy Dan
I've met Cowboy Dan. Not literally, of course, but I've seen him in more than a few people, and sometimes it scares me what resentment can do to a person. Never before or since has Modest Mouse personified their themes like they do with Cowboy Dan. The song itself goes from loud to soft to loud again, the best of both worlds for sure. Simply iconic, and well deserving of the #1 spot.