The Fruit That Ate Itself

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ALBUM INFORMATION

Total Tracks: 9   Total Length: 21:05

eMusic Review

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Yancey Strickler

eMusic Contributor

12.09.09
Isaac Brock and friends’ farewell to the indies.
Label: Glacial Pace Recordings / SC Distribution

Firmly entrenched as the new kings of indie rock by the time this EP came out in 1997 (supplanting the mighty Pavement), Modest Mouse capped their indie career with this excellent collection of new material, their last on an independent. Fans of "Float On" will find plenty to like: the staccato chants of "Karma's Pavement," the joyous and appropriately titled "Summer" and the hypnotic "The Waydown." Modest Mouse didn't come to the mainstream; the mainstream came to them.

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Brilliantly controlled raw energy

Caph

I happened across this by accident and I can't stop listening to it. Not since the Pixies have I heard anything so raw that has enough talent to hold it all together so perfectly. It never gets out of control, yet often seems to be on the verge. Brilliant drumming, brilliant baselines, brilliant vocals, brilliant guitar work. OK, so I'm smitten. Ever track on this album is great, and to think I nearly missed it. I've tried their newer stuff but it just doesn't seem to be a patch on this raw genius.

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The seed

richbrya

Summer and Karma's Pavement are hints of the great things to follow on "Building Nothing Out of Something" and other later work.

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Early work

dahutys

Fans who only began listening to Modest Mouse with "Float On" likely will not enjoy this EP; it's one of the first things the band ever released, and it's nowhere near as polished as their current sound. However, "Karma's Payment" was the first Modest Mouse song I ever heard, on a college radio station a few months after it was released. It stopped me in my tracks. Its sound is unique, and I love the lyrics: "I am not who I want to be / I probably will not ever be"... I'm not crazy about the rest of the EP, but I highly recommend checking out that song.

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Raw, unpolished

RockstheCasbah

Lacking the sonic complexity of later releases, this ep is worth it for a few listens, but wears thin pretty quickly in comparison to the rest of the M.M. catalogue.

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HuH?

cranrazzdoor

I downloaded this a year ago, and now they say its new? And, now I cant redownload it for free? Thank you Emusic.

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They Say All Media Guide

Produced by Calvin Johnson, The Fruit That Ate Itself possesses a leaner and meaner sound than earlier Modest Mouse releases — the emphasis here is less on noise than groove, and the spare, edgy approach of cuts like “Dirty Fingernails” and the title track recalls the goofy indie-funk of Dub Narcotic Sound System and other likeminded Johnson-helmed projects. – Jason Ankeny

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