DASHBOARD - MODEST MOUSE
Easily a standout from the album “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank,” “Dashboard” packs in all of Modest Mouse’s charms: frontman Isaac Brock’s clipped vocals, steady drum thumps and fiery, raw guitars. It’s the follow-up to “Float On,” which triumphed on rock and top 40 radio — but unlike that optimistic track, “Dashboard” stays within the indie rockers’ stomping ground. Brock’s snarly storytelling, the vocal equivalent of never knowing if he’s gonna hug you or clock you in the face, takes center stage, while bandmates bring a steady pounding that crests at the chorus to add drama. “Dashboard” carries enough of a frustrated charge to hold its own on modern-rock airwaves, but it may be too intense for top 40. Doesn’t matter. It’s still worthy of repeated spins. Billboard
