Official "Strangers To Ourselves has been leaked" and our anti-piracy policy Discussion Thread

So I pre-ordered the vinyl edition the day that it became available, but I just couldn't help myself from checking out the leak. I have no regrets.

I've given the album three thorough listens, and though I'm sure my opinions will undergo plenty of changes in the weeks to come, here's my initial thoughts track-by-track:

  1. Strangers to Ourselves: Very enchanting opener. Reminiscent of "The Good Times Are Killing Me," but only a little bit. I love the slow and subtle buildup throughout it. 8.5/10.
  2. Lampshades on Fire: There's always that slight temptation to skip the singles on the album once you actually have the entire album to listen to, but I resisted; after all, I wanted to listen to it the way the band intended. Catchy song, and perfect material for a lead single. 7/10.
  3. Shit in Your Cut: This was one of the songs I've been most excited to hear the studio version of. I loved seeing them perform it in Cooperstown, NY last year and I've listened to every bootleg of it obsessively. Thankfully, the studio version didn't disappoint. This is one of the musically darker tracks on the album, and it's such a great song to jam out to and just sort of flow with the beat. Hard to explain, but it just has a way about it. 9/10.
  4. Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996): This is without a doubt the weirdest song on the album, both musically and lyrically. The title implies that it would be about the serial killer Andrew Cunanan, but it's hard to relate that to the actual lyrics. Maybe I'm missing something. Regardless, this is a very fun track. I've never heard anything like this from the band before. 8/10.
  5. Ansel: This is an insanely heartbreaking track, as I'm pretty 100% it's about Isaac's brother, who died in a hiking accident around the time GNFPWLBN was being produced. Though it's not the most groundbreaking instrumentally, the lyrics really grab you. Very sobering song. 9/10.
  6. The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box: Unlike with "Lampshades on Fire," I wasn't tempted to skip this track at all, despite my having heard it many times already. The five tracks that precede this one really do a great job of getting you in the zone, and this is just such an epic song as well that it makes six minutes just fly by. 9.5/10.
  7. Coyotes: This was easily my favorite single from the album. Though the lyrics might seem almost cheesily "easy" to decipher, I had an epiphany while listening to in the setting of the full album, wherein I sort of just decided to stop being so cynical. It's a great song and no matter how you look at the lyrics, the message behind them is great. 9/10.
  8. Pups to Dust: Immediately, this track stood out to me because of how reminiscent the guitar was of early Modest Mouse. In addition to it just being a great song by itself, the rush of nostalgia for the early days of the band that the song triggered for me just made it all the more powerful. It was while listening to it that I realized how great a job the band did with making a double LP that didn't have any filler, which is extremely remarkable (see: M83's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. 8.5/10.
  9. Sugar Boats: Holy shit, "Sugar Boats." That piano at the beginning is so fucking odd for the band that it grips you immediately. The funky horns sound like something off of GNFPWLBN, but way jazzier and 100x better. Just like "Shit in Your Cut," this is a great song just to jam out to. 9.5/10.
  10. Wicked Campaign: This is easily—far and away—my absolute favorite song off of the album. When the drums kick in along with Isaac's voice dropping during the chorus, a shiver goes down my spine. The song is fucking magic, and does something for me that no other song on the album can. Simply incredible. 10/10.
  11. Be Brave: I completely forgot this song existed until I found myself listening to it in the context of the album and trying to figure out why it sounded so familiar—oh, right, a high-quality recording from Coachella came out last year. Nevertheless, this is still a great song. However, I can't help but feel that it sort of doesn't fit very well in the album, mainly due to its lyrics. Still, it's a fun, slower song. 7.5/10.
  12. God is an Indian and You're an Asshole: This song had me on the fucking ground, holy shit. Very great, stompy tune; sounds like something Ugly Casanova would've done for 180° South. 8.5/10.
  13. The Tortoise and the Tourist: Musically, this is the most WWDBTSES-esque track off the album. Weird lyrics, but powerful nonetheless. Isaac's bitterness towards humanity is never as apparent on this album as it is in this track. 8/10.
  14. The Best Room: This was my second favorite single off of the album, following "Coyotes." It's incredibly stompy and sarcastic, and I love it for that; it's as if Isaac had a moment of vulnerability and broke down on the previous track, and "The Best Room" is the sarcastic free falling rant that follows. 9/10.
  15. Of Course We Know: Ah, and here are. Once this song started playing, I immediately regretted listening to it when it was released as a single. Nevertheless, this is a perfect closing track. The long vocal-free opening seems like it's providing Isaac time to gather his thoughts before he shares one last tidbit of wisdom before once again retreating into the shadows. Not only is that tidbit of wisdom great—the lyrics on this track are amazing—but the instrumentation on this track is great as well. The slow, pounding guitar and drums paired with the way cry-ish background vocals are a thing to behold, and they make for the perfect atmosphere to finish up the album in. Finally, as the vocals and most of the instrumentation come to a close, we're left with a lone piano playing a few somber yet hopeful notes and chords; and then, silence. 10/10.

Overall, this is an incredible album. At the moment, the hierarchy of my favorite Modest Mouse albums are as follows: LCW>TIALDFSWNTTA>STO>M&A>WWDBTSES>GNFPWLBN

/r/ModestMouse Thread