Mogwai's 7th album, though I've got 13 CD's sat on my shelf, including, compilation's, EP's, soundtracks and live albums. This for me is probably up there in the top 3 of Mogwai releases (with Young Team and Rock Action). This is an epic set of songs, which covers all bases of the Mogwai sound, which has developed since Young Team way back in 1997. I picked up the deluxe book version with the extra CD of the 23 minute 'Music For A Forgotten Future (The Singing Mountain)', which was recorded for an art installation by Douglas Gordon and Olaf Nicolai. Douglas Gordon had previously worked with Mogwai on the Zinedine Zidane movie 'Zidane - A 21st Century Portrait' which was released in 2006.The ten tracks on this album really are quite diverse, covering the Mogwai quiet-loud template on several songs, to a more up tempo, even chart friendly, offerings on songs like Mexican Grand Prix. Synth drums feature quite heavily throughout, as do synthesized vocal effects using vocoders. The album has huge scope, for a band portrayed by some as having been repeating the same trick for 14 years. For me, Mogwai grow with each release, on Hardcore using violin, piano, slide guitar to great effect. I love hearing deeply buried melodies way down in the mix, which jump out like buried treasure when you find them. The bizarro song titles continue, rumours persist these are randomly generated by an Internet word engine.
On final track You're Lionel Richie, four minutes into the song, which has been building from the start there is a short lull, before effects pedals, drums, bass are all engaged, with volume set to 11 and the fun continues to the songs end 5 minutes later.
I'm finally getting to see Mogwai for the second time (the first time was supporting the Manic Street Preachers at Bridlington Spa Pavillion, way back in 1998) at the 02 in Leeds next Sunday. I've already got my ear plugs packed and ready, for what will should be a great show.
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