This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
The Lonesome Crowded West is the second studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse, released on November 18, 1997, by Up Records. The two towers pictured on the album's cover are The Westin Seattle. Described as having a "white trash" aesthetic, "The Lonesome Crowded West received positive reviews from critics, and appeared on several lists of the best albums of the 1990s. The album was reissued by Isaac Brock's Glacial Pace label in 2014, along with Modest Mouse's 1996 debut This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. Blake Butler of AllMusic praised the album's innovation and stylistic diversity, saying "there's something here for everyone" and called the album "indie rock at its very best." Pitchfork ranked The Lonesome Crowded West at number 29 in their list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1990s, and the song "Trailer Trash" reached number 63 in their list of the 200 greatest songs of the decade. Spin ranked the album at number 59 in their list of the 100 greatest albums of 1985–2005, and Entertainment Weekly included the album in their list The Indie Rock 25. The A.V. Club has described The Lonesome Crowded West as the band's breakthrough recording. Sam Hockley-Smith, in a retrospective review for Stereogum, refers to The Lonesome Crowded West as "the album that made Modest Mouse a great band instead of just a good one" and writes that the primary theme of disillusionment in Brock's lyrics is "not pretty, but it's honest, and that honesty makes it beautiful, like Modest Mouse were desperately trying — and failing — to hold onto that last bit of naiveté." In 2024, Paste Magazine ranked The Lonesome Crowded West number 300 on its list of the 300 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Nice indie rock album by Modest Mouse. Some of the songs are a bit too long and a 45 minute selection would have created a better album.
So much indie rock music relies on flashy bells and whistles. And sometimes, that plays out really well! (re: ITAOTS) Other times... it just feels like a distraction, a glossy coverup for lackluster lyrics and songwriting. This album doesn't hit you with that bullshit. It is a much more raw rock setup, and that rawness in execution really amplifies the rawness of emotion on display. This is a lonely, angry, neurotic, snarky portrait of a soul. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Wow, this wasn’t included in the original list? Important correction by the user who submitted this. Obvious classic, and absolutely an album you should have heard before you die. Such creative instrumental parts, iconic vocals, an all around indie essential.
Even as a casual fan, I’m still relatively unfamiliar with Modest Mouse’s back catalog, so this was a great way to get to know one of the band’s better efforts. It’s a testament to the band’s creativity that a 75-minute runtime here doesn’t kill the listening experience – there's a lot going on, but the LP dabbles in equal parts quiet and chaos to give the listener some breathing room. Isaac Brock's roughshod vocals and excellent guitar-playing give this album more than enough personality, and play a huge role in how this band can sound so consistent yet reinvent themselves from track to track.
I think Modest Mouse really should've been on the original list. I think they were bigger and sound more unique than some other things from this time period. Although, I've always preferred We were dead before the ship even sank. This one feels too long.
This eariler stuff feels more adjacent to bands of a similar vein and era (Pavement etc.) though with a harder rock sound and a wierd edge (reminding me of more out there acts like Residents) that seems more pronounced in later albums I've listened to. I like this, I'm not sure that material here needs two album's worth.
A racket
A band out of time and/or place - early 90s Seattle implies a whole different set of sounds and influences.
I've never heard such an early Modest Mouse album! I think this is a lot of fun. Much more raw and under produced and a bit wild. Favorite track is Shit Luck.
It's not my favorite Modest Mouse, but I'm glad someone added them!
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Teeth like god’s shoeshine, Lounge, Doin’ the cockroach, Cowboy dan, Shit luck
Good beats and stuff
Isaac Brock's voice is peculiar and works for the lyrics
My immediate reaction to this was mild irritation, but it grew on me. Rough-edged and a bit chaotic on the surface, but smarter than it seems. There's a lot to like here, but yeah, this would have been a better album if it were shorter. Fave Songs: Polar Opposites, Trailer Trash, Lounge (Closing Time), Convenient Parking, Out of Gas, Bankrupt on Selling
Pretty average indie. I've heard the name before this time, at least. I like that they're louder than their name suggests (unlike the eagles of death metal). But it's not really something I'd listen to willingly. 3/5.
Modest mouse is one of those bands that makes good songs and their style is pretty much unmatched. They have the ability to be catchy and disrupting at the same time. This album is a very raw, unpolished version of some of the more popular albums they have that are a bit more enjoyable. This album isn’t amazing but it is pretty good. I enjoyed it but it’s not their best overall. 6.5/10
As someone who’s only ever really listened to float on, this wasn’t completely my jam but it was good enough to at least hold my interest the whole time.
Didn’t we have a Modest Mouse album on this list before? To my surprise, no. So good to add one. I’m more familiar with Modest Mouse’s later albums. At first when this started I thought the shambolic style and noisy guitars would grate - but as the first song played out there was something kind of sweet in the harmonic singing and Modest Mouse’s clever songwriting came through taking the edge of a style that I wasn’t sure I could enjoy for 74 minutes. While it still was too long for my taste and a bit less polished than their later works, I did mostly enjoy this early, experimental, and very young-feeling song creations. Just isn’t going to be the album I go back to.
Alright, I guess
The drummer is a great guy, however, I didn't find the overall proposal on the album very interesting. Now, as the "Español" says: "Ni fu ni fa" 😆 1.5 stars
Not really a Modest Mouse fan. 2 stars.
There is some of this that is fun Spoon-like late 90s early 00s indie and other parts that are..not that. Overall a little too long for this reviewer
Midwest emo, Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa. Al final me ha aburrido tanto que un 2. Finales de canciones innecesariamente largos.
Christian and uncomfortable 1