”I am my own damn God” proclaims singer/lyricist Isaac Brock. Brook either sounds like he’s screaming with his throat for one song, and then the next, sings in a hushed opiate style a’la Sparklehorse. But he sure has found his footing as both a versatile vocalist and a poet with a knack for offbeat rhyme structuring, often stockpiling words into one sentence to get the point across to himself more than anyone else. He swears, he spits, or he whispers and reflects. What makes this the best Modest Mouse record is that it never goes off course despite its schizophrenic tactics while past efforts never quite meshed from track one to the last. And the best news is that each band member is given his chance to show off his chops. Guitarist Dann Gullicci is given plenty to do no matter if the axe is an atoned steel-stringed acoustic or a detuned electric quenched in reverb. Bassist Eric Judy gets to illustrate his agility on the spirited Talking Heads groove, "The View," while drummer Benjamin Weikel's staggering syncopation never tails off on the extraordinary "Satin in a Coffin." Among the many other stand-out tracks that blare like anthems for momentum include the 80s seasoned “Float On,” which eventually belts out into your ears as a cry for incentive. “Even if things get heavy/we’ll all float on” is more than an optimistic decree, but is also effectively catchy like any radio staple. “Bukowski” is a banjo-tinged little waltzy number with accordion and violin to boot. However, The best tracks implode towards the closing half of the album starting with the brushed, beautiful, little ballad “Blame It on the Tetons” followed-up by “Black Cadillacs” which could have the one of the best crunch guitar symphonies of recent memory doused with a fierce lyrical cry that paints a painful memory fully realized even under a three-minute running time.

Good News For People Who Love Bad News is an album of dark proclamations miraculously spiked with hope and resurrection. As much as the basic concepts surrounding death and God evolve into the central theme of the record, there is also a sense of moving above and beyond the call of duty. It’s a record that is a call to arms to self-motivation and yet, being fully conscious of one’s limitations. Don’t let the good times kill you, and beware of excess pleasures that will render you immobile. Take the good with the bad is a simpler way of looking at it. Philosophies aside, the entire record is melodically strong even when a couple songs don’t stick in the skull as much as others; this is an album that you won’t want to take out of your player. This here mouse is anything but modest, mightier than the sword, and worthy of the attention that bands like The Shins and The Strokes have been getting for the past couple years. Herky-jerky rhythms, cacophonous guitar orgies, and sprinkles of keyboard candy permeate nearly every track, giving each song its own distinct ambiance and by the denouement, you feel like playing it all over again to catch all the nuances.