Usually, when a band tries to expand their sound beyond the parameters of what made them "cool" to young audiences, their fans cry sell-out and disown the band once they gain mainstream popularity. But Modest Mouse never really went through those growing pains. Because even at the height of their popularity, they never made a conscious decision to adapt a new sound. They augmented what was already there and built upon the solid foundation they'd laid with a couple of masterful albums (and a whole host of EPs and compilations), but they didn't add a bunch of wanking guitar solos or rap verses overtop their songs. No, but they tossed in some interesting horn parts here and their to add a little texture. They brought in Johnny Marr to thicken the edges. They evolved rather than replace. Modest Mouse is still in the midst of an evolution, and with a companion album to Strangers to Ourselves slated for 2016, here's to hoping they continue the progress. Because that's what's made them so interesting to follow in the first place.