All of which doesn't mean Mogwai have grown up exactly. This time the people who brought you such titles as 'A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters" on Mogwai Young Team now present the brilliantly daft "Glasgow Mega-Snake", a song so ludicrously titled you suspect they only just managed not to prefix it with "Do You Want To See My?". Heralded by a pure note of feedback, "Glasgow Mega-Snake" totally wrong foots you by sounding (whisper it) a bit like Muse, a riot of squalling stage straddling, head down rock, it wrestles you into submission. Elsewhere, like of opener "Auto Rock", they go from zero to ponderous fuzzcore in under five minutes. The most notable aspect of Mr. Beast is how fully-formed each track is and just how tight and succinct Mogwai have become. No more the sprawling, anarchic genius of "Like Herod", no track on Mr. Beast breaks the six minute barrier and, surprisingly, they're all the better for it.
With Mr. Beast, Mogwai have returned full of gusto, sounding revitalised and more essential than the band have ever been. If the groups of your youth continue their downward spiral, take heart, because Mogwai, bloody-minded as ever, have made the album of their careers. Sometimes, it seems, getting older can be fun.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
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2 - Eric Berlin
Sounds like good stuff, Greg, and great review as always !
3 - Mark Saleski
great review sir smyth. i sort of stumbled upon Mogwai one morning while driving to work. there was a long song on the radio that sort of meandered quietly for a long while...then exploded into sound.
i thought, shit! some unreleased Godspeed You Black Emperor!! nope, not exactly.
i ended up buying Come On Die Young.