Modest Mouse’s 2004 album “Good News for People Who Love Bad News” features the song “Float On.” Released by Epic Records on April 6, 2004, it was the American alternative rock band’s fourth studio album and their breakthrough into the mainstream.
“Float On” became the album’s defining hit, pairing Isaac Brock’s distinctive vocal delivery with a bright, memorable arrangement that contrasted with the band’s often darker and more restless earlier work. The single was released in March 2004, topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and earned a 2005 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song.
The album also includes “Ocean Breathes Salty,” “The World at Large,” “Bukowski,” and “The Good Times Are Killing Me.” It was produced by Dennis Herring and recorded at studios in Mississippi and Tennessee. Founding drummer Jeremiah Green did not appear because of a temporary departure from the band, making this the only Modest Mouse album during his lifetime without his performance.
Listeners sometimes identify “Float On” as an album title track because it was so successful, but the album’s title is “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.” The song is its lead single, not its title track.