How does a band like Mogwai write their music? Do they just get in the studio and jam and see what happens, or are they all so focused and ... I dunno, depressed that they are able to hunt down the melodies in their distraught minds and recreate them with dozens of guitars and drumsets and keyboards and whatever else you can make music with in a post-apocalyptic world? It is all so beyond me that I don't know how to approach this album, other than to say these things definitively:
1a) it's progressive rock, mostly instrumental.
2b) it's incredibly dark and moody and melodic
3c) it's freaking AMAZING
Apparently a few people thought their last effort, Happy Songs for Happy People was too formulaic and not loud enough. With Mr. Beast, it seems that Mogwai intentionally addressed this (NOTE: this, right now, this very second, is as blog-like as it gets around here), and while I wouldn't call this album balls-out-prog-rocking, it definitely goes up a notch from Happy Songs. Before I talk about any of the songs in detail, let me go ahead and recommend that you all go out and get this cd. Either it'll be real dark and up your alley, or you need to stop listening to such goddamn happy music all the time.
"Auto Rock" is the opener, and it is dark and prototypical Mogwai. It's just a great introduction to the band. Nothing too crazy comes out of it, but the piano is haunting to say the least, and the build up around the initially naked piano is fantastic, especially the subtle keyboards in the background.
I think track 2, "Glasgow Mega-Snake", deserves a mention, because it is is unrelenting pure rock fury (c), brought to you by Mogwai. The effects layered on the guitars here... oh man, you have to give it a listen. The song just attacks and attacks and attacks, and the melodies hiding here simply do not belong with this aggressive a sound. The juxtaposition is awesome.
The only other song I want to single out is my favorite song on the album. "Friend of the Night" is full of dark piano melodies with a basic beat, and its simplicity is what does for me. They found a cool riff, they worked around with it, and the didn't do anything cute with a long drawn out build up (godspeed!), and they didn't try to get too fancy with their core sound. Basically, this is the most straightforward song on the album in terms of arrangement, and yet it without all the fanciness it still works incredibly well.
I have to temper this review a little, so here goes: Mogwai could have pushed further from their 'formula' with Mr. Beast but they did not. Do I honestly give a shit? No, but I guess it's worth mentioning in case you come back to me with "this album is boring."
However, if you do come back to me with that, you're either a pretentious ass or you're not listening hard enough.
1a) it's progressive rock, mostly instrumental.
2b) it's incredibly dark and moody and melodic
3c) it's freaking AMAZING
Apparently a few people thought their last effort, Happy Songs for Happy People was too formulaic and not loud enough. With Mr. Beast, it seems that Mogwai intentionally addressed this (NOTE: this, right now, this very second, is as blog-like as it gets around here), and while I wouldn't call this album balls-out-prog-rocking, it definitely goes up a notch from Happy Songs. Before I talk about any of the songs in detail, let me go ahead and recommend that you all go out and get this cd. Either it'll be real dark and up your alley, or you need to stop listening to such goddamn happy music all the time.
"Auto Rock" is the opener, and it is dark and prototypical Mogwai. It's just a great introduction to the band. Nothing too crazy comes out of it, but the piano is haunting to say the least, and the build up around the initially naked piano is fantastic, especially the subtle keyboards in the background.
I think track 2, "Glasgow Mega-Snake", deserves a mention, because it is is unrelenting pure rock fury (c), brought to you by Mogwai. The effects layered on the guitars here... oh man, you have to give it a listen. The song just attacks and attacks and attacks, and the melodies hiding here simply do not belong with this aggressive a sound. The juxtaposition is awesome.
The only other song I want to single out is my favorite song on the album. "Friend of the Night" is full of dark piano melodies with a basic beat, and its simplicity is what does for me. They found a cool riff, they worked around with it, and the didn't do anything cute with a long drawn out build up (godspeed!), and they didn't try to get too fancy with their core sound. Basically, this is the most straightforward song on the album in terms of arrangement, and yet it without all the fanciness it still works incredibly well.
I have to temper this review a little, so here goes: Mogwai could have pushed further from their 'formula' with Mr. Beast but they did not. Do I honestly give a shit? No, but I guess it's worth mentioning in case you come back to me with "this album is boring."
However, if you do come back to me with that, you're either a pretentious ass or you're not listening hard enough.