Interstate 8

This was the disc that got me into Modest Mouse. I didn’t know at all what to expect, and after hearing this, their other albums disappointed me a little (just a little; the band is one of my favorites).
The songs on here are some of MM’s laziest and most atmospheric, with intense, but not overdone, emotions. If you’ve ever lived in the Pacific Northwest you will identify with this music. The title track is the perfect song for staring out your window into a rain-soaked afternoon; “Sleepwalking” is probably the happiest Isaac’s ever sounded (though, as the title suggests, he may just be sleepy). “Edit the Sad Parts” is an anthem for every gloomy, depressed teenager. The other songs are jumpy and funny, and all excellent.
Of course, the real prize here is that you don’t just get the five songs listed on the CD case - after about two minutes of silence, you get another string of half a dozen tracks, most of which are live recordings of songs from “This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About”, MM’s first full-length album.
If you manage to find this, buy it; this is the best way to get into a really amazing band.