How Mogwai Got It's Groove Back

When I was a sophomore or junior in high school, a friend of mine mentioned casually that Mogwai was a good band. It was early in my musical exploration, and I had no idea who/what Mogwai was. But it sounded like it might be related to the Jungle Book, so I was intrigued. When I got a gift certificate to the local independent mom and pop record shop (Tower Records, Inc.), I bought Happy Songs for Happy People.

Side note: Pot leaf? Really Disney?

Wow. Changed my life. My family listened to it on a long drive, and at the end my dad simply said "Well, not all purchases can be good ones." I was blissful in the back seat.

I don't know what it is about Mogwai, but they have captured my heart in a way that M83, Explosions in the Sky, Do Make Say Think, and other post-rockers have never been able to. Maybe it's that they were my first. Maybe it's that they have funny song titles (see: Japanese bonus track, "Stupid Prick Gets Chased by the Police and Loses His Slut Girlfriend"). Maybe it's that their sound is dense, beautiful, and blankets you with a sort of solemn-yet uplifting peace. Regardless, it's baller.


But they never really matched Happy Songs for Happy People with other efforts. I know lots of folks will say that Young Team is their best work, or that Come On Die Young was their closest shot at stardom (as much as you can be a star in the instrock world, at least). I beg to differ. HSfHP had a simplicity that hadn't been matched. I could run, read, or fall asleep to it. I could listen to it in the car, rock out to it on headphones, or play it for friends. Mr. Beast, HSfHP's follow-up, was good, but not great.


Wonder of wonders, they've found that sound again. On the latest from Mogwai, The Hawk Is Howling, the feeling is there - a wave of sound that doesn't fail to hit home at a single point. It's glorious. A month and a half after its release, I'm finding myself going to it more than almost anything else in my collection (exception: Lil Mama). I'm listening to it right now, and I'm happy.

Here, try it. If you're in the right mood, I think you'll quite like it.



Mogwai - Local Authority

Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud

Mogwai - Hunted By A Freak (from Happy Songs for Happy People)