After five years away from the studio, Modest Mouse have officially returned with An Eraser and A Maze, the band’s eighth studio album and one of the most ambitious records of their career. Released via Glacial Pace Recordings and Virgin Music Group, the 15-track collection arrives alongside a surreal new music video for album standout “Life’s A Dream” and the start of an extensive North American tour.
Produced by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock, An Eraser and A Maze brings together an impressive group of collaborators including Jacknife Lee (U2, R.E.M.), Suzy Shinn (Weezer), and Justin Raisen (Charli XCX, Kim Gordon). The result is a record that feels both familiar and entirely unpredictable, drawing from every era of the band’s three-decade career while continuing to push their sound forward.
The album arrives during a milestone year for Modest Mouse, which is also celebrating the 30th anniversary of its debut album This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About. Rather than functioning as a nostalgic retrospective, An Eraser and A Maze feels like a living document of the band’s evolution, weaving together the jagged experimentation of early releases, the expansive textures of The Moon & Antarctica, and the melodic accessibility that made Good News for People Who Love Bad News a modern indie rock classic.
One of the album’s emotional centerpieces is “Life’s A Dream,” which arrives with a visually striking new music video directed by Brock alongside Zach Storer and Chris Raab. Shot in Portland, Oregon, the clip blurs the lines between dreams and reality through a cast of eccentric characters and surreal imagery. The song itself captures the album’s larger themes of mortality, memory, grief, and connection.
Those themes run throughout An Eraser and A Maze. Following the death of founding drummer Jeremiah Green in 2022 and the loss of several close friends and collaborators, Brock has spoken candidly about confronting mortality during the album’s creation. The record reflects those experiences without becoming consumed by darkness, instead finding moments of humor, wonder, and resilience amid uncertainty.
The project also serves as a tribute to Modest Mouse’s extended creative family. The late Sam Jayne of Love as Laughter appears through sampled audio on “Life’s A Dream,” while longtime collaborators including Tom Peloso, Ben Massarella, Benjamin Weikel, Janet Weiss, Damon Cox, and current band members Simon O’Connor and Russell Higbee contribute throughout the record.
Critics have responded enthusiastically. Brooklyn Vegan praised the album as “a collection of indie rock songs that are as catchy as they are deeply weird,” while Paste called it “more vulnerable and human than anything they’ve released in ages.” Under The Radar highlighted the album’s depth and complexity, describing it as a record that rewards repeated listens.
The release comes as Modest Mouse embarks on a sprawling North American tour that stretches through October. Highlights include appearances at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Shaky Knees, and a series of headline dates across the United States and Canada. The tour also features support from a rotating cast of artists including Caroline Rose, Sun Atoms, Pinback, and Silver Triplets of the Rio Hondo.
Notably, Trust for Public Land has partnered with the band as the official charitable partner of the 2026 tour, continuing Modest Mouse’s longstanding commitment to environmental conservation and public land advocacy.
With standout tracks including “Picking Dragons’ Pockets,” “Third Side of the Moon,” “Speak ‘N Spell (Or Not),” “Absolutely Necessary Never,” and “Look How Far,” An Eraser and A Maze stands as one of the most compelling indie rock releases of 2026. It captures a band simultaneously honoring its past while refusing to become trapped by it.
Thirty years into their career, Modest Mouse remain one of alternative rock’s most distinctive voices. An Eraser and A Maze proves they are still capable of surprising listeners, challenging expectations, and finding new territory within their ever-expanding sonic universe.
An Eraser and A Maze is available now on all major streaming platforms, CD, and vinyl formats.
Featured image credit: Ben Moon
