Strangers to Ourselves

Strangers to Ourselves is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Modest Mouse, which was released on March 17, 2015,^[1] two weeks after its initially announced release date of March 3.^[2] The album was leaked to the internet on March 7, 2015.^[3] On March 16, 2015, the day before the album's official release date, Strangers to Ourselves was made available for download on Amazon.com (free for Prime) and the iTunes Store.

Strangers to Ourselves
Studio album by Modest Mouse
Released	March 17, 2015 (2015-03-17)
Recorded	2014
Studio	Ice Cream Party (Portland, Oregon)
Genre	Indie rock, Alternative rock, Indie pop
Length	57:10
Label	Epic
Producer	Isaac Brock Tucker Martine Brian Deck Andrew Weiss Clay Jones
Modest Mouse chronology
No One's First, and You're Next (2009) Strangers to Ourselves (2015) The Golden Casket (2021)
Singles from Strangers to Ourselves
"Lampshades on Fire" Released: December 15, 2014 "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box" Released: March 17, 2015

It is the band's first studio album since We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, released in 2007, marking the longest gap between studio albums in their career. Modest Mouse recorded two albums' worth of material in their sessions, though the second album still has several songs incomplete.^[4]

Joe Zook, who mixed We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, also mixed Strangers To Ourselves.

The album's cover features an aerial image of Venture Out RV Resort, located in Mesa, Arizona.^[5]

Singles

The first single from the album, "Lampshades on Fire", was made available on December 15, 2014 for streaming and digital download.^[6] Another song from the album, "Coyotes", was made available for download on January 20, 2015. The third song to be made available, "The Best Room", was released on February 3, 2015, alongside the album's track listing.^[1] A fourth track from the album, "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box", was released on February 16, 2015.^[7] On March 3, a fifth song from the album was released, the album's final track, "Of Course We Know".^[8]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.7/10[9]
Metacritic	70/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
The A.V. Club	B+[12]
Entertainment Weekly	A[13]
The Guardian	[14]
NME	7/10[15]
Pitchfork	6.4/10[16]
Q	[17]
Rolling Stone	[18]
Spin	5/10[19]
Uncut	8/10[20]

Strangers to Ourselves received both middling and positive reviews. The album holds a score of 70 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews".^[10] While some lament the title's lack of experimentation and growth, other reviewers see the album as evidence of the band's evolution. Kyle McGovern of Spin calls the album "a rudderless 15-song set that slightly improves the standing of 2007's middle-of-the-moat We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank."^[19] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic emphasises the strengths of the album's songs individually, but adds that "it's an album where the trees matter more than the forest."^[11]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Strangers to Ourselves"	3:24
2.	"Lampshades on Fire"	3:08
3.	"Shit in Your Cut"	4:44
4.	"Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)"	3:42
5.	"Ansel"	2:56
6.	"The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box"	6:12
7.	"Coyotes"	3:31
8.	"Pups to Dust"	3:31
9.	"Sugar Boats"	4:03
10.	"Wicked Campaign"	3:34
11.	"Be Brave"	3:31
12.	"God Is an Indian and You're an Asshole"	1:17
13.	"The Tortoise and the Tourist"	3:41
14.	"The Best Room"	4:25
15.	"Of Course We Know"	5:24
Total length:		57:10

All lyrics are written by Isaac Brock, except "God Is an Indian and You're an Asshole" lyrics by Jeremiah Green. All music composed by Modest Mouse

Vinyl edition

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Strangers to Ourselves"	3:24
2.	"Lampshades on Fire"	3:08
3.	"Shit in Your Cut"	4:44
4.	"Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)"	3:42

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Ansel"	2:56
2.	"The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box"	6:12
3.	"Coyotes"	3:31
4.	"God Is an Indian and You're an Asshole"	1:17

Side three

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sugar Boats"	4:03
2.	"Wicked Campaign"	3:34
3.	"Be Brave"	3:31
4.	"Pups to Dust"	3:31

Side four

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Tortoise and the Tourist"	3:41
2.	"The Best Room"	4:25
3.	"Of Course We Know"	5:24
Total length:		57:10

Personnel

Modest Mouse

• Isaac Brock – vocals, guitar, twelve-string, piano, Rhodes, Mellotron, bass, EBow, baritone guitar, Korg MS-20
• Jeremiah Green – drums, conga, sequencers, electronic drums, djembe, death whistle, vibes, Korg, kalimba, cigar box guitar, backing vocals
• Tom Peloso – bass, synth, Rhodes, piano, upright piano, cornet, kalimba, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Jim Fairchild – guitar, Rhodes, ukulele, backing vocals
• Russell Higbee – bass, Rhodes, upright bass, guitar, pump organ, vibes, electric piano, baritone guitar, euphonium, kalimba, cornet, organ, backing vocals
• Lisa Molinaro – viola, cello, bass, vocals
• Ben Massarella – percussion
• Darrin Wiener – Modular synthesizer, field recordings, machine sequencing

Additional instrumentation

• Davey Brozowski – percussion
• James Mercer – vocals
• Dann Gallucci – drum machine, guitar, acoustic guitar, sequencing, synthesizers
• Jose Medeles – drums, percussion, vibes
• William Slater – banjo on "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box", piano, Rhodes, Modular synth, backing vocals
• Maureen Pandos – upright bass
• Tristan Forney – tuba
• Corrina Repp – backing vocals
• Jeremy Sherrer – timbales, MPC programming, backing vocals
• Tucker Martine – percussion
• Seth Lorinczi – bass
• Ryan Baldoz – backwards bass

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2015) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[21] 15 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[22] 40 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 125 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[24] 192 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 47 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[26] 39 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 96 UK Albums (OCC)[28] 28 US Billboard 200[29] 3 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[30] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2015) Position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[31] 24

References

1. "Modest Mouse Share "The Best Room", Detail Tracklist, Push Back Release Date". Pitchfork. 3 February 2015.
2. "Modest Mouse Confirm New Album 'Strangers to Ourselves'". Rolling Stone. 14 December 2014.
3. "Modest Mouse : Strangers To Ourselves album download | Has it Leaked?". 14 December 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
4. Schonfeld, Zach (March 10, 2015). "Q&A: Modest Mouse Frontman on Why the New Album Took Eight Years". Newsweek. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
5. "Useless fact: The cover art from Strangers to Ourselves is from Apple Maps". 16 Dec 2014. Retrieved 3 Mar 2015.
6. "Modest Mouse premieres new single "Lampshades on Fire" — listen - Consequence of Sound". Consequence of Sound. 15 December 2014.
7. "Modest Mouse Share "The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box from forthcoming album, "Strangers to Ourselves"". Pitchfork. 16 February 2015.
8. Camp, Zoe (3 Mar 2015). "Modest Mouse Share "Of Course We Know", Announce Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 Mar 2015.
9. "Strangers to Ourselves by Modest Mouse reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
10. "Reviews for Strangers to Ourselves by Modest Mouse". Metacritic. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
11. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Strangers to Ourselves – Modest Mouse". AllMusic. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
12. Schonfeld, Zach (March 17, 2015). "Modest Mouse's Strangers To Ourselves is familiar in the best ways". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
13. Raymer, Miles (March 11, 2015). "Strangers to Ourselves by Modest Mouse: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
14. Jonze, Tim (March 12, 2015). "Modest Mouse: Strangers to Ourselves review – indie-rock business as usual". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
15. Horner, Al (March 11, 2015). "Modest Mouse – 'Strangers To Ourselves'". NME. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
16. Greene, Jayson (March 17, 2015). "Modest Mouse: Strangers to Ourselves". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
17. Segal, Victoria (April 2015). "Are Friends Eclectic". Q (345): 94.
18. Fricke, David (March 17, 2015). "Strangers to Ourselves". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
19. McGovern, Kyle (March 19, 2015). "Review: Modest Mouse's Middling Comeback, 'Strangers to Ourselves'". Spin. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
20. "Modest Mouse: Strangers to Ourselves". Uncut (216): 77. May 2015.
21. "Australiancharts.com – Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
22. "Austriancharts.at – Modest Mouse – {{{album}}}" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
23. "Ultratop.be – Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
24. "Ultratop.be – Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
25. "Officialcharts.de – Modest Mouse – {{{album}}}". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
26. "Charts.nz – Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
27. "Swisscharts.com – Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
28. "Modest Mouse | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
29. "Modest Mouse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
30. "Modest Mouse Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
31. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.

External links

• Lampshades on Fire (Streaming Audio)
• Modest Mouse on Myspace