Review Summary: Inconsistency can be a good thing, if executed properly.
The album The Moon and Antarctica by Modest Mouse is revered as a classic by not only this website, but also alongside Pitchfork Media, AllMusic, and even the Recording Industry Association of America. But, if you delve into the history behind the album you may recognize something a bit odd… Some of the songs from the original recording of The Moon and Antarctica were left out in the final product.
These unreleased tracks in addition to Modest Mouse’s earlier EP, Night On The Sun, allowed for an extremely quick release of what seemed like new material to most. For Modest Mouse fans, September 25th, 2001 marked the day Everywhere and His Nasty Parlor Tricks (EWaHNPT) was released.
EWaHNPT is a bit of an unusual curation. This is due to combination of the aforementioned tracks, which ultimately effected how the EP sounded. To describe it, the EP sounded, well… inconsistent. Take songs like “3 Inch Horses, Two Faced Monsters,” “Here it Comes,” and “I Came As A Rat.” Then compare them to the likes of “So Much Beauty In Dirt,” “The Air,” and “Night On The Sun.” You may have noticed there are some considerable differences between these tracks. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing. While the musical inconstancy of the EP could be considered tedious to a listener, one could also argue this compilation shows just how dynamic Modest Mouse is as a band. Again, compare these songs to one another. You may feel a cowboyesque tone in “3 Inch Horses,” and a more electronically produced/ rap music feeling in “So Much Beauty In Dirt.” With their musical fluidity and or experimentation, Modest Mouse managed to make every track quite distinguishable from one another. Therefore, nothing really goes amiss to the listener.
In short EWaHNPT is a bit of a musical oddity. But then again, Modest Mouse as a band has always been a musical oddity, and that is a good thing. Artists who have explored different types of music, and ‘risked’ their sound always seem to succeed in some way or another. The EP is short, sweet, and very well put together. Let it serve as a sample platter of sorts. If you’re looking to get into Modest Mouse, or just looking for some other material from them, then this EP is definitely worth a listen.
