Strangers to Ourselves
by Modest Mouse
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Mar 17, 2015
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 84
  3. Negative: 2 out of 84
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  1. Custom_Concerns
    Mar 23, 2015
    5
    Modest Mouse is my absolutely favorite band. The Moon & Antarctica is my favorite album with The Lonesome Crowded West right behind. However, their latest effort, Strangers to Ourselves, is disappointingly average - especially for these veteran indie rockers. There are a few highlights, but I feel this is undeniably their worst album to date.
  2. MetaCam
    Mar 28, 2015
    6
    I got hooked on Modest Mouse about ten years ago with "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". Since then, of course, my tastes have developed as I was very young when I got into Modest Mouse, but I made sure to explore all of their older material too. When "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" was first announced, I was pumped. I enjoyed it, though it wasn't as memorable as albumsI got hooked on Modest Mouse about ten years ago with "Good News For People Who Love Bad News". Since then, of course, my tastes have developed as I was very young when I got into Modest Mouse, but I made sure to explore all of their older material too. When "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" was first announced, I was pumped. I enjoyed it, though it wasn't as memorable as albums previous to it. At this point I had basically listened to their entire discography- "The Moon and Antarctica" became my favourite of all of their releases, though I really enjoyed many songs from "This is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About" . I went into "Strangers to Ourselves" with lower-than-usual expectations, but the album was still very disappointing to me.The individually released singles all seemed strong; unfortunately it was the rest of the album that was hardly memorable- "Strangers..." is the antithesis of all of Modest Mouse's previous releases. It has very little consistency and many of the songs don't add to the album as a whole- like they're trying to recreate their older "signature sound" but coming up with a lukewarm, halfhearted mimicry of it. It does have its rewarding moments, though, in songs like Pups to Dust and The Best Room. Keep in mind, this is my opinion.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 8, 2015
    67
    Limited variety and specks of staleness can't ground the high points.
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  2. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Apr 28, 2015
    70
    If Lonesome and Moon are 10s, Good News is a 9 and Long Drive and We Were Dead are 8’s, then this gets 7/10. Definitely worth picking up for Modest Mouse fans, but those new to the band should start elsewhere.
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  3. The 405
    Mar 31, 2015
    65
    There's plenty to like about Strangers to Ourselves; it's just that it genuinely baffles that an LP as sprawling as this can have so many different ideas, and so few new ones.
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