Isaac Brock might just be the most underappreciated lyricist of his generation. Yes, he might border on being nonsensically spiritual at times, but behind the seemingly unintelligible lines lies a profound sense of existentialism. But for me, Brock’s greatest talent is turning a seemingly pessimistic world view into something to find joy in.
“Float On” remains Modest Mouse’s most popular track. It’s catchy as hell and exemplifies the “fuck it, it could be worse” attitude that Brock continuously advocates.
“Gravity Rides Everything” went a step further. It picks apart our obsessive paranoia for success, our need for planning every detail, that fixation for staying fit beyond our years. At its core, its deeply pessimistic; to the point of accepting that your free will is shackled by forces larger than you. But Brock sings these lines with such earnestness and reassurance that acceptance becomes the heart of the song. Time comes for all of us, and rather than try to outrun it, accept each stage of life for what it is.
That graduate school application you check your email for every couple of hours, that big interview you’ve hyped yourself up for, that presentation that you think might make or break your career — they’re not worth defining your life over.
It might be a roundabout and philosophical way of echoing Bobby McFerrin’s sentiments, but it’s masterfully poetic. It’s a song that makes you feel deeply hopeless, yet somehow you find yourself smiling as it closes.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1pPqVrG2RCHXx81Aw4xp99?si=dd512a017c4e4f13