Mogwai :" the Bad Fire"

 

11 albums into their career, this Scottish band has a clear focus of their sonic journey. Vocals appear right from the first song though they are more of a smooth texture that sits into the swirl of sound. Things get more into their older bran of majestic melancholy on the second song. It's less pop-oriented than the opening track. If you came here wanting post-rock this is the song for you. "What Kind of a Mix is This" feels like it just spills out from the end of the lingering ebb of the previous song. It takes a minute for a guitar melody to establish the song's footing. These guys are one of the few largely instrumental bands that I like with "Rock Action" and 'Come On Die Young' as my favorites from them. I originally checked them out after reading an interview with Robert Smith where he named them as his favorite band. 

The lead single "Fanzine Made of Flesh" is more upbeat, and on more of an indie rock vibe than I expected from them. But it's effective songwriting and works for me. There are some hilarious song titles like "Pale Vegan Hip Pain".  The one carries a more depressing lethargy that fits the song title. It drones a bit as the chords slowly modulate. This floats into "If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others" which feels like the climax of "Pale Vegan Hip Pain", but this is not uncommon when it comes to instrumental albums. Though oddly this has more vocals than any other Mogwai album I can recall hearing. "18 Volcanoes" almost feels more like an Elliot Smith song when it comes to how the vocals are handled. As the song builds they do drift to the back of the mix. 

"Hammer Room" is more upbeat, with synths working overtime to create something torn between retro and futuristic. "Lion Rumpus" has more rock n roll to it's drumming. The synths continue to color the songwriting. It feels like this is what marks the biggest change in their songwriting sounds like synth melodies drive the songs where it was once more guitar dominant. They split the difference on this song. The last song drifts off into space, which is a fitting conclusion, they do use some interesting sounds in the excursion. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me I think there is some growth in terms of songwriting and how vocals are used here.

pst21