This is a document of a case study performed at the Pitchfork Institute of Technology (P.I.T.) in which three listeners, chosen at random from a sample group, were subjected to the latest release by the group Modest Mouse, Sad Sappy Sucker. They were given a set of facts about the release, which will be reproduced here.

Fact Sheet: Modest Mouse in 1994-95 consisted of Isaac Brock on vocals and guitar, Dan Gallucci on guitar, John Wickhart on bass, and Jeremiah Green on drums. Sad Sappy Sucker was their debut album, recorded over this time period by Calvin Johnson at Dub Narcotic, but never released until now. It was shelved in favor of 1996's This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. By that time, the lineup had removed Gallucci on second guitar and replaced John Wickhart with Eric Judy on bass.

The first half of the newly issued Sad Sappy Sucker consists of the original album, which runs at about 27 minutes. The second half is about nine minutes of tracks recorded for Brock's amateur Dial-a-Song service in the same time period.

*****

On Their Opinions of Modest Mouse:

Listener #1: I enjoy Modest Mouse.

Listener #2: I dislike Modest Mouse.

Listener #3: Am I in the wrong room? I think I'm supposed to be hearing the new G. Love and Special Sauce.

*****

On Isaac Brock's Vocals:

Listener #1: This seems to be the decision point for those who are on the fence about whether they enjoy the band or not. So naturally, I love his voice. And on this early record, he definitely sounds younger and more, well... mousy. But the shaky, always slightly aggressive quality of his voice has always appealed to me.

Listener #2: Naturally, I hate the guy's voice. It's like they got a tone-deaf retarded guy who's missing teeth to sing for them. I can't say this record has helped me warm up to it, and I probably would have hated it more if I'd heard this record before the others.

Listener #3: Hey, fuck this. I'm out of here.

*****

On Indie Style:

Listener #1: The early form of the group seems to owe more to Archers of Loaf than the Pixies. The structures are less varied, not as tight, and more laid back, with simple, catchy, guitar-pickin' hooks and a healthy, upbeat groove. It often works to their advantage. Sometimes the Pixies influence shines straight through even here, though, like on "Red Hand Case," which features a bluesy progression and quirky, screeching vocals. And strangely, Brock uses his accordion a lot more than usual on both the Dial-a-Songs and the album itself. Jeremiah Green still proves himself to be one of indie rock's best drummers, even this early on in the game.

Listener #2: I agree. Although the music has never made much of an impression on me-- especially with that guy's nasal yelp to get past-- Green's a fucking awesome drummer.

*****

On Guitars and Overdubbing:

Listener #1: I prefer the sound of the band's latest records, with Brock's masterful guitar stylings pervading the sound, overdubbed ten times over, adding the complexity that makes it so fascinating. But even before 2000's The Moon & Antarctica, when his guitar was simpler, he still managed to pull off some fascinating riffs by himself. Here it's sort of entry level "indie," and he's got a supporting guitarist to help him out. Nevertheless, the riffs are often engaging enough, especially for a fan like myself.

Listener #2: For me, the more interesting the guitars the better, and if the sounds of the previous records failed to interest me, you can bet this one bored me to tears.

*****

On Lyrics:

Listener #1: Isaac's lyrics here are clearly not as philosophically developed as they became in the later years. He still tries to tackle the big issues, like life and death; on the brief, solo-accordion "Think Long," he sings, "Sit and think for a while, and you'll realize that you still die/ If you're not thinking at all, I'm not sure why you're alive." But with titles like "Worms Vs. Birds" and "Mice Eat Cheese" dominating the pack, it's clear he had a ways to go until he got to pensive musings like "The universe is shaped exactly like the earth/ If you go straight long enough, you'll end up where you were."

Listener #2: I'm sort of glad that he's sticking to the basics. The other words were simply pretentious bullshit.

*****

On Length and The Dial-A-Song Bonus Tracks:

Listener #1: It's interesting to see that the songs are so short. I mean, of course the Dial-a-Song tracks are all under a minute, but the songs usually run about two-to-three minutes here, and that's atypical of the band. Of course, it's further proof that Brock was just carving his niche; he was simply at the beginning of his path as a musician, his ideas not being able to sustain an epic track or maintain interest for longer periods of time as they so easily can these days.

The Dial-a-Song tracks prove this even further, featuring ideas stretching out over only thirty seconds with no cohesive way to connect them with others. They're often silly-- sometimes painfully, atonally so, especially when including kazoos and whistles-- but sometimes they hint at bigger, better songs. The most interesting of the Dial-a-Songs come early on, so they work best as a sort of afterthought to the bulk of the record.

Listener #2: The songs are mercifully short. The Dial-a-Song tracks are painfully amateurish. I can't believe I'm being subjected to this garbage.

*****

On the Completely Idiotic Decision to Make the Fourth Song Unlisted, Thereby Causing the Tracklist as Seen on the Packaging to Be Off by One for the Majority of the Record:

Listener #1: It's interesting that the unlisted fourth track happens to be one of the record's catchiest and best tracks. But even I'll admit that it's stupid to sequence it that way.

Listener #2: Doesn't fucking surprise me.

*****

On Favorite Tracks, Most and Least:

Listener #1: Besides the unlisted track, I enjoy the opener, "Worms Vs. Birds," as an example of the best track which fits the overall style of the record. It's loosely played, melodically simple, but highly enjoyable. My other favorite is "Every Penny Fed Car," which strikes me as the most obvious hint to their future work; it begins instrumentally with a driving riff and a complex beat and then suddenly switches mid-song to chanting vocals and gradual, overstated power chords. My least favorites are the minute-or-less tracks within the body of the record. The ideas don't seem developed enough to have a place with the rest of the songs.

Listener #2: I guess I like the first half of "Every Penny Fed Car," since it's instrumental and all. But the rest just bugs me. Obviously.

*****

Conclusions:

Listener #1: Overall, Sad Sappy Sucker feels as if it was sort of put together in a hurry, despite it having sat around in the warehouse for seven years. The album part has plenty of good songs, though, and any completist will want to hear it. The Dial-a-Songs seem disposable, but they're interesting to hear at least once to see how Brock got his start.

Listener #2: Man, I thought I hated them before. They're going to have to work really, really hard to impress me now.

Listener #3: Oh, what? Sorry, I forgot my Gatorade. I'll leave again.

-Spencer Owen