The Golden Casket is the seventh studio album by the American alternative rock band Modest Mouse, released on June 25, 2021, on Epic Records. Produced by Dave Sardy and Jacknife Lee, the album was preceded by the singles, "We Are Between", "Leave a Light On" and "The Sun Hasn't Left".
| The Golden Casket | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 25, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2020 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, alternative rock, neo-psychedelia, post-punk revival, indietronica, indie pop | |||
| Length | 50:22 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Modest Mouse chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Golden Casket | ||||
| ||||
The album is the last to feature guitarist Jim Fairchild and Lisa Molinaro. Both departed from the band just days prior to the album's release.[1] This was also the last album to feature drummer Jeremiah Green before his death in December 2022.
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| NME |  [3] |
| Paste | 6.1/10[4] |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10[5] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[6] |
| Rolling Stone |   [7] |
| Slant Magazine | [8] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4.0/5[9] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ ( )[10] |
| Under the Radar |    [11] |
The Golden Casket received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 78, which indicates "generally favorable reviews," based on 12 reviews.[2] Reviewing for Rolling Stone, Kory Grow characterized the album as "textured and messy as humanly possible," writing: "Like many Modest Mouse records, The Golden Casket sounds cluttered."[7] Conversely, Pitchfork's Evan Rytlewskia called the album a "procession of pinging, clanging, reverberating tactile pleasures".[5] NME's Jordan Bassett gave the album five stars, labeling it a "masterful psychedelic patchwork." He concluded with a quote from a fan: "Brought me comfort at 13… Bringing me comfort at 31. My goodness does life go by quick."[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fuck Your Acid Trip" | 3:11 |
| 2. | "We Are Between" | 3:52 |
| 3. | "We're Lucky" | 2:44 |
| 4. | "Walking & Running" | 3:01 |
| 5. | "Wooden Soldiers" | 5:55 |
| 6. | "Transmitting Receiving" | 5:40 |
| 7. | "The Sun Hasn't Left" | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Lace Your Shoes" | 5:25 |
| 9. | "Never Fuck a Spider on the Fly" | 4:56 |
| 10. | "Leave a Light On" | 4:18 |
| 11. | "Japanese Trees" | 3:05 |
| 12. | "Back to the Middle" | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 50:22 | |
Personnel
editModest Mouse
- Isaac Brock – vocals, electric guitar (all tracks); synthesizer (1, 5, 7–10), percussion (4, 5), banjo, melodica (5); bass guitar (6–8, 10), drums, loops (6); drum machine, marimba (7); creative direction
- Jeremiah Green – drums (1, 3–12)
- Tom Peloso – bass guitar, horn (3); synthesizer (4), guitar (6), piano (6, 9, 11)
- Jim Fairchild – guitar (3)
- Russell Higbee – bass guitar (1, 4–9, 11, 12), synthesizer (1, 4, 7, 10, 11), electric guitar (2, 3, 7, 10), strings (10), drums (11)
- Lisa Molinaro – vocals (4, 5, 7), viola (5, 12), background vocals (11)
- Ben Massarella – shaker (1, 4, 5, 7–11), tambourine, tom toms (1, 8); claves, cowbell, handbells, xylophone (1); drums (3, 10), percussion (4, 10), vibraslap (5), cymbals (8); bongos, snare drum (10); electronic drums (11)
Additional contributors
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Stewart Whitmore – mastering
- D. Sardy – mixing (1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11), acoustic guitar (1, 5, 6, 9, 11), electric guitar (2, 6, 8), organ (2, 5), synthesizer (2, 5, 8–11), chimes (2), keyboards (4), piano (5, 6, 8); shaker, tambourine (6, 9); drums (6), bass guitar (7, 8, 10), vocals (7, 10, 11), guitar (7), timpani (11)
- Jacknife Lee – mixing, engineering, bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals (2, 4, 7, 10); percussion, synthesizer (4, 7, 10); background vocals, piano (4)
- John McEntire – mixing, engineering (12)
- Cameron Barton – engineering (1–11)
- Jim Monti – engineering (1–11)
- Jeremy Sherrer – engineering (12)
- Matt Bishop – editor (2–4, 7, 10)
- Jordan Katz – horn (7)
- Dylan Odbert – art direction, design
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[12] | 87 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[13] | 7 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] | 12 |
References
edit- ^ "Jim Fairchild's Instagram Post June 21st". 2021-06-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-07-05 – via Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbhUTpBpkR/
- ^ a b "The Golden Casket by Modest Mouse Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ a b Jordan Bassett (2021-06-22). "Modest Mouse – 'The Golden Casket' review: the spiritual sequel to their breakout hit". NME. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "Modest Mouse Wrestle with Technology on The Golden Casket". Paste. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ a b "Modest Mouse: The Golden Casket Album Review". Pitchfork. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
- ^ "'The Golden Casket' Finds Modest Mouse in Captivating, Heartfelt Form". PopMatters. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
- ^ a b Kory Grow (2021-06-24). "Modest Mouse Sound Lonesome, Crowded on 'The Golden Casket'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "Review: Modest Mouse's The Golden Casket Is a Polished, Buoyant Pop-Rock Trip". Slant Magazine. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "Review: Modest Mouse – The Golden Casket". Sputnikmusic. 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
- ^ Hull, Tom (July 5, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ "Modest Mouse: The Golden Casket". Under the Radar. 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
- ^ "Modest Mouse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ "Modest Mouse Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ "Modest Mouse Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.