One Year of The Golden Casket (2021)
By Modest Mouse
I tear-up almost every time I listen to “Lace Your Shoes”. It’s a unique cry. Joy, with a hint of sadness. I’ve cried to other tearjerkers like “I Dreamed About Mama Last Night”, and “Cats Cradle” but this one is the one and only song that has ever given me tears of happiness. Kudos. A rare accomplishment.
Lyrical Themes
For those who don’t have a 3-year-old, it is a good album with many other themes unique to music. Lyrics have distinct themes that appear in many of the songs, a hallmark of a good album. Anxieties about the world at large, politics, personal data collection, technology, and social media are all portrayed without being corny.
“The Golden Casket” also delivers relief from these issues, like “just being here now is enough for me”, and “the rain’s still wet…there’s still something left for you”, some of my favorite lyrics from the album. Such lyrics give a similar consolement as The Beatle’s “Let it Be”.
Space
I love older Modest Mouse songs like “Night on the Sun”, “The Stars are Projectors”, “Dark Center of the Universe”, “3rd Planet” and others. Space themes are abundant on “The Golden Casket” (about half the songs), and similar to their oldies, have a unique take on space compared to other music.
Elton John’s “Rocketman”, Harry Nilsson’s “Spaceman”, and David Bowie’s music all have refer to people in space. This evokes a grandiose image of humanity resulting in a glamorous take on space. Modest Mouse on the other hand talks about space more like they are stargazing, which evokes a sense of smallness and insignificance.
“We are…somewhere between dust and stars”.
This is a feeling that is becoming lost on humanity as we spend more time indoors and in urban areas where light pollution drowns out the stars. I think this has significant effect on spirituality and is a contributing factor towards egocentric trends among people. Combine this idea with the egocentrism of social media and BAM! that’s the feeling I get from the album. The loneliness and stuck-ness we can feel inside of our plugged in worlds and the joy of breaking free.
Side note: check out the International Dark Sky Association if you find that interesting.
Somewhere in the Middle
A trademark of good albums are repeated themes throughout the album. I think The Golden Casket does this very well. Example: “We Are Between”, “We’re Lucky (Just To Be Between)”, and “Back to the Middle” all evoke a middle-ground between infinity and nothingness. Modest Mouse has always had a knack for thoughtful oxymoron phrases (e.g. Lonesome Crowded West). Most oxymorons are silly, but Modest Mouse uses them in such an evocative way to span everything and leave you… somewhere in the middle.
Musical Themes
Music-wise, there is a neat combination of pop and indie. Many songs could fit on “Good News For People Who Love Bad News”, so if you were a fan of that album you should definitely give this one some listen. There are strong choruses and a very studio feel, 3 part harmonies, horns, and staccato whistling of repeated notes. If this piques your interest, definitely check out “Wooden Soldiers”.
Track by Track
- “Fuck Your Acid Trip” — 4/10
I have a hard time getting through the repetitive profanity in the pre-choruses. A big disappointment because the chorus is great. “We’ll figure it out” provides a soothing positivity among strife that spans the album. I think I would be less disappointed if this was at the bottom of the the album’s track list. Don’t let it turn you a way from the album though. It is all good things from here. - “We Are Between” — 7.5/10
This track has five times more play time on Spotify than any other track on the album. That’s surprising to me, but fair. It’s one of the better songs, but not vastly better. If only it were the first track on the album. It sets the tone with themes both musical and lyrical that continue onward. - “We’re Lucky” — 8/10
This song flows so well after “We Are Between” I think they should be linked (like “We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions”). The lyrics continue where track 2 left off, but adds depth and insight, which is why I like it better. “It takes a lifetime to ever figure out, that there ain’t no lifetime that’s ever figured out”. That’s such a good lyric and it is classic Modest Mouse. - “Walking And Running” — 6/10
This song is good, but lacks the lyrical hook that will draw you in to many of the other songs. - “Wooden Soldiers” — 9/10
This song has several of my favorite lyrics. “Making plans in the sands as the tides roll in”. Moving along with our lives within the framework of modern culture, even though we feel it eroding. The use of tides and sands gives a very natural feeling, which to me is a clear reference to climate change, sea level rise, and the apocalyptic scenarios that can result. “Hastagging, photo bragging, no one who’s even sort of real”. This is the world we are stuck in. Meanwhile, nature is proceeding in its own world. But then, that’s just human nature. “Just being here now is enough for me”. Maybe that’s the best thing you can do. - “Transmitting Receiving” — 7.5/10
This is one of those songs that might mean something. Kinda feels like “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel, kinda feels like nonsense. But it’s fun to listen to! It holds a repetition through the entire song over progressively lifting music that gives it depth. - “The Sun Hasn’t Left” — 9/10
This song has the most pop influence, but it’s far enough away from pop that it’s still great for indie fans. The chorus is such a good sing-along for a group. Aside from that, the lyrics are really good. On my first listen I thought it was a song about divorce, but it’s more broad than that. It could just as well be a comment on the divisions among the United States. We don’t know each other, but together we are us. Let’s stop the competition because there is nothing for the winner but wasted time. - “Lace Your Shoes” — 10/10
So good, it had to be the opening to this article. Modest Mouse paints beautiful picture after beautiful picture. It’s a slow tune, appropriate for the subject. It won’t be everybody’s favorite, but if you are a parent, then this is a must listen. - “Never Fuck A Spider On The Fly” — 8/10
Not really sure what to say about this tune other than I like it. - “Leave a Light On” — 8/10
“My friends house if full of very, very helpful nurses, Some days they have birthdays there and some days they have hearses”. What a cool way do describe a hospital. Classic Modest Mouse. Compressing birth and death into the same place. - “Japanese Trees” — 8/10
This song wraps up the themes of tech by breaking free. - “Back To The Middle” — 9/10
“We lived in cities and we lived in caves, I guess I’d like to move back to the middle again.” How many times have you felt like you were born in the wrong time? Great song.
How good is the album?
One of my top 3 of Modest Mouse, and that’s saying something from a long time fan. I do kinda miss the more raw tunes of their pre- “Good News…” stuff, but this is well done. Now…
“ditch your phone in the rest-stop bathroom” and leave.
