Robert Smith once called these guys his favorite band and it is easy to hear why. Eleven albums into their career, Mogwai has a clear focus on their sonic journey on The Bad Fire (Rock Action Records). Vocals appear right from the first song, serving as a smooth texture that sits in the swirl of sound. Things get more into their older bran of majestic melancholy on the second song. It’s less pop-oriented than the opening track. If you came here wanting post-rock this is the song for you. “What Kind of a Mix is This” feels like it just spills out from the end of the lingering ebb of the previous song. It takes a minute for a guitar melody to establish the song’s footing.

The lead single “Fanzine Made of Flesh” is more upbeat, with more of an indie rock vibe than you might expect from this band.  But it’s effective songwriting and works for me. There are some hilarious song titles like “Pale Vegan Hip Pain.” The one carries a more depressing lethargy that fits the song title. It drones a bit as the chords slowly modulate. This floats into “If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others” which feels like the climax of “Pale Vegan Hip Pain,” but this is not uncommon when it comes to instrumental albums. Oddly this has more vocals than any other Mogwai album you might recall hearing, while still being true to their sound.  

“18 Volcanoes” almost feels more like an Elliot Smith song when it comes to how the vocals are handled. As the song builds they do drift to the back of the mix. “Hammer Room” is more upbeat, with synths working overtime to create something torn between retro and futuristic. “Lion Rumpus” has more rock n roll to its drumming. The synths continue to color the songwriting. It feels like this is what marks the biggest change in their songwriting sounds like synth melodies drive the songs where it was once more guitar dominant. They split the difference on this song. The last song drifts off into space, which is a fitting conclusion, they do use some interesting sounds in the excursion.

 The album shows signs of growth even this late into their career in terms of songwriting and how vocals are used here. Fans of this band will find them delivering what they expect from these guys, even though it’s not as brooding as some of their earlier, nor does it hold the same sonic heaviness, yet it holds up against their early work when it comes to the melodies and sounds they have woven into these songs, the range of color that finds your ears is less drug-addled and depressive but still highly effective song-crafting.  

Buy the album here:
https://mogwai.bandcamp.com/album/the-bad-fire

9 / 10
WIL CIFER
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