In 2011, a story emerged that Isaac Brock had written a bunch of songs with Outkast’s Big Boi, prompting speculation as to what crazy direction the sixth Modest Mouse album could be heading in. Well, four years later we have our answer: it sounds a lot like previous Modest Mouse albums. Big Boi’s influence – which promised a “big-ass brain-stormin’, tsunami, typhoon, tectonic-plates-movin’ kind of thing” – is nowhere to be seen; instead there’s plenty of jerky indie-rock. The lack of progression is a shame, as the album’s chief lyrical theme – mankind’s disregard for nature – is one that needs hearing. Coyotes calls out our environmental hypocrisy, but would be more effective if it didn’t sound like an old Eels track. On Lampshades on Fire, however, Brock does combine his band’s trademark jittery energy with enough melodic fuel to make his grim message stick: “The air’s on fire so we’re moving on / Better find another one ’cos this one’s done”.
