The Moon & Antarctica, Modest Mouse’s third album, was a strange record for a major label like Epic. Dark, moody, atmospheric sounds with angular guitars, lopsided rhythms, and surrealist lyrics less sung than whelped from a fallen angel.  It didn’t sound commercial in the least. But it’s a funny thing how things work out. Author Zachary Petit explores this weird little record in vivid detail in this recent entry in the 33 1/3 series. 

The making of The Moon & Antarctica is one of rock and roll lore. The band recorded with Brian Deck in a studio that wasn’t completed, and the band helped to build the studio as they recorded. Then, after the band finished recording the basic tracks, singer Isaac Brock was involved in an altercation that left him with a broken jaw that had to be wired shut. With him unable to record vocals, he set about twiddling on the basic tracks, adding new instrumentation and flushing out the sound, creating a moody dark atmosphere. The resulting songs benefit from the extra attention, and upon its release the album was heralded for its complex sound. 

Petit bases his book around his being able to spend time with Isaac Brock. That sounds like it would produce amazing content, but…Brock is hazy on the details of making the album, thanks to his being on pain medications for his jaw.  That doesn’t take away from the information The Moon & Antarctica gives the reader, which makes up for it by being quite detailed in its examination of the album. Indeed, The Moon & Antarctica is another fine addition to the 33 1/3 series, and is an enjoyable, enlightening, and entertaining look at one of the new millennium’s best albums. 

Purchase: Amazon

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