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May 2, 2001
Mogwai's New Record
I had tickets to see Mogwai a few months back here in SF. I didn't go. It was combination of issues that prevented me form going - the largest of which is the fact that BART stops running at Midnight and a cab ride to Berkeley costs $40.
Instead I gave the tickets to Carl, and I headed home to do some work.
In hindsight, it might have bee a good choice to spend the 40 bucks on the show. I hear it was great, and now that I've heard their new record, "Rock Action," I have an insight into what I might have missed.
Mogwai started out a few years back with a dynamic, Loud/Soft sound, slow builds and incredible sonic crashes. Their subsequent records have become quieter, and more drawn out. Rock action follows further in that direction with quieter songs Ð but now theyÕre getting shorter.
The first track starts with a slow build and some distorted percussion Ð as though the drums and cymbals were being driven through an a.m. radio speaker sporting a screwdriver in itÕs cone. ItÕs actually a quite nice sound.
There are many more vocal tracks on the album, to a mixed effect. The standout aspect of Mogwai, for me, has always been the absence of the pop song structure, and the limited Òpost rockÓ formula action. TheyÕre moving closer to the pop end of things, but thereÕs still enough spin to make it more Mogwai than pop.
Posted by tdotjay at May 2, 2001 3:05 AM
