DESPITE forming in Kurt Cobain's hometown in the year of his premature death, Modest Mouse are no left over debris from the grunge fall-out.

Instead, the quartet have picked up where they left off and put their heads together to concoct 15 glorious tracks of blissed out, funked out, melodic pop.

The follow-up to 2000's The Moon and Antarctica, soaks up a whole myriad of influences from the floaty summer vibes of The Flaming Lips (The World At Large), to the bombastic, bouncy Hives-style grooves of Dancehall.

Front man Isaac Brock's vocals are versatility personified, adjusting them to fit each requisite track, while the addition of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band on songs like the quirky, blues-influenced This Devil's Workday, put you in mind of a back street Alabama bar.

'Lips singer Wayne Coyne is even on hand to add his production expertise with a remix of the pensive, but soothing, The Good Times Are Killing Me.

All in all, good news for people who like great music.

What do you think of the album? Have your say.

Released July 12, 2004.
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