Night On the Sun - By Modest Mouse
TITLE: Night On the Sun
ARTIST: Modest Mouse
GENRE: Indie Rock
MOOD: Soft, Reflective, Celestial
SIMILAR TO: The Shins, Broken Bells, Neutral Milk Hotel
In appreciation of the total solar eclipse that happened across the United States today, I figured "Night On the Sun" would be an appropriate song of the day for this occasion. Although I'm not particularly fond of most of Modest Mouse's music, "Night On the Sun" is an exception. This track actually comes off of their Night On the Sun EP which was only just recently released digitally last year. The original EP made its debut in 1999 through CDs, consisting of early demos and tracks that didn't make it onto their The Moon and Antarctica (2000) album.
At over nine minutes long, "Night On the Sun" is almost five times the length of the eclipse's window of totality. However, the extensive length of the song really allows you to appreciate each melodic decision and lyrical passage Modest Mouse makes. The track quiets down at seven minutes in, allowing for a slow and beautiful progression of guitar, a moment that certainly adds a celestial and otherwordly feel.
Not releasing "Night On the Sun" on their The Moon and the Antarctica album seventeen years ago is a mystery itself. This song definitely deserves way more recognition than the band allowed it to have.
Bonus: The "Whale Song" is another track I think is fantastic by Modest Mouse, mostly because I'm a sucker for prolonged instrumental intros/outros.