- Audio CD (23 Sep 2008)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Matador Records
- ASIN: B001CVCBLM
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 629,771 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
If at first, Mogwai's sixth album The Hawk Is Howling feels mostly remarkable for its song titles––what other quote-unquote 'experimental' band would christen their majestic soundscapes with names like "Daphne and the Brain", "The Sun Smells Too Loud", or "I Love You, I'm Going to Blow up Your School"?––repeated listens see this record find a neat place in the band's canon, somewhere between the sonic bliss of Happy Songs for Happy People and the intricate melancholia of Mr Beast. Solely instrumental, it's an album that follows the latter-day Mogwai template of gently undulating peaks and troughs, rather than mountains and precipices. Which might sound less than scintillating, but these days Mogwai are less about dynamite dynamics and more about intricate melodies and songs that slowly, but grandly, wind their way to conclusions. The opening "I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead" starts with a gentle minor-key keyboard piece by Barry Burns, but gradually builds in mass to a white-out of sparkling guitars. "The Sun Smells Too Loud" is a more synthetic-sounding piece doused in thick, fuzzy effects and yearning melodies. Meanwhile, "Batcat" proves the band can still flex a muscle, a squalling barnstormer with a Hassidic-tinged melody that recalls "My Father, My King". ––Louis Pattison
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Someone clearly a whole lot smarter than me once wrote that music, at its best, is "...a polite reminder of the limitations of language". A beautiful phrase, which stuck with me.
At their magnificent best, Mogwai have brought that polite (a less than apt word in the context of Mogwai's music, I grant you) reminder to mind many times since "Young Team" offered an exciting alternative to the dying embers of Britpop 11 years ago. That and every subsequent release have been studded with moments that have enough power and beauty to leave listeners awestruck.
What makes "The Hawk is Howling" Mogwai's most satisfying recording to-date is that over its 63 minutes or so, the feeling of awe it generates refuses to leave you. There are simply no tracks here destined for the skip button on future listens. The opening track, "I'm Jim Morrisson, I'm Dead", devastates with it's sheer momentum and from there on, through a number of fluctuating moods, the album takes you on a journey you'll want to repeat many, many times.
By the time the truly majestic wash of "Scotland's Shame", the eighth track here, was enveloping me, all thoughts of resistance were futile and Mogwai seemed like the only band who ever mattered. They aren't of course, in as much as nobody is, but it can certainly feel that way at times.
Others, i.e. Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed... have offered great work in the time since Slint's "Spiderland". However, Mogwai have always displayed a real understanding of how to get to the point economically and how to use melody to generate real emotion. These ten pieces synthesise all they have learned and that alone should be recommendation enough. I know I'll be revisiting this beautiful album for the rest of my life.
At their magnificent best, Mogwai have brought that polite (a less than apt word in the context of Mogwai's music, I grant you) reminder to mind many times since "Young Team" offered an exciting alternative to the dying embers of Britpop 11 years ago. That and every subsequent release have been studded with moments that have enough power and beauty to leave listeners awestruck.
What makes "The Hawk is Howling" Mogwai's most satisfying recording to-date is that over its 63 minutes or so, the feeling of awe it generates refuses to leave you. There are simply no tracks here destined for the skip button on future listens. The opening track, "I'm Jim Morrisson, I'm Dead", devastates with it's sheer momentum and from there on, through a number of fluctuating moods, the album takes you on a journey you'll want to repeat many, many times.
By the time the truly majestic wash of "Scotland's Shame", the eighth track here, was enveloping me, all thoughts of resistance were futile and Mogwai seemed like the only band who ever mattered. They aren't of course, in as much as nobody is, but it can certainly feel that way at times.
Others, i.e. Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed... have offered great work in the time since Slint's "Spiderland". However, Mogwai have always displayed a real understanding of how to get to the point economically and how to use melody to generate real emotion. These ten pieces synthesise all they have learned and that alone should be recommendation enough. I know I'll be revisiting this beautiful album for the rest of my life.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I hadn't heard any Mogwai before. Listened to this album on their myspace page and really liked. Sometimes happy but mostly moody soundtracks to films never made but probably should have been. I can imagine Shane Meadows making a film with a Mogwai soundtrack.
A bit of Sonic Youth, a bit of shoegazing, a bit of Pink Floyd, it even reminds me a bit of some Pat Metheny stuff. Whatever it is it's worth listening too. Buy without hesitation if you like proper grown up sounds.
A bit of Sonic Youth, a bit of shoegazing, a bit of Pink Floyd, it even reminds me a bit of some Pat Metheny stuff. Whatever it is it's worth listening too. Buy without hesitation if you like proper grown up sounds.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I recently recieved a promo copy of this cd and I have to tell you its fantastic. The songs are slightly longer and darker than that of the 'mr beast' album (by no means a bad album, but to these ears, mogwais weakest to date).
This album manages to be both what you'd expect, yet at the same time still has teh ability to suprise:
Dark, haunting opener 'Im jim morrison, im dead' is built around teh time honoured build/repition theme with a maudlin piano thrown in, 'batcat' is scuzzy and dirgy while 'daphne and the brain' is short and full of brilliant electro flecks (that do indeed pepper parts of teh album to great affect)
the real stand out tracks for me though are the melancholic post rock of 'scotland's shame' which builds nicely, like an instrumental A PERFECT CIRLCE song I suppose, with good use of wah guitar towards the end for tension....and 'The sun smells too loud' which is now my fave mogwai song. it starts with a sequenced synth bass and electro percussion straight from the 80s and then just goes straight into the stratosphere!
It's bizarely up lifting/uptempo for mogwai, you can even dance to it! Its also got some lovely repeating guitar lines.
Go buy!!!!
This album manages to be both what you'd expect, yet at the same time still has teh ability to suprise:
Dark, haunting opener 'Im jim morrison, im dead' is built around teh time honoured build/repition theme with a maudlin piano thrown in, 'batcat' is scuzzy and dirgy while 'daphne and the brain' is short and full of brilliant electro flecks (that do indeed pepper parts of teh album to great affect)
the real stand out tracks for me though are the melancholic post rock of 'scotland's shame' which builds nicely, like an instrumental A PERFECT CIRLCE song I suppose, with good use of wah guitar towards the end for tension....and 'The sun smells too loud' which is now my fave mogwai song. it starts with a sequenced synth bass and electro percussion straight from the 80s and then just goes straight into the stratosphere!
It's bizarely up lifting/uptempo for mogwai, you can even dance to it! Its also got some lovely repeating guitar lines.
Go buy!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent
Not so much slowly slowly then crashy and fast as previous Mogwai albums but its no worse off for that! Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. J. Porter
the mighty `Gwai seem on top of their game
I have to admit I was left feeling a tad uninspired after hearing leaked versions of `Batcat' and the horrible `Sun Smells To Loud' and I feared Mogwai were going to be another... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Micky67
Another strong album from Mogwai
This 2008 album from Mogwai sees them sticking faithfully to their formula rather than breaking new ground. But what a formula. Read more
Published 20 months ago by klaher
Good but not great
Up until this release Mogwai have developed and refined their music and sound from album to album. Peaking with the sublime "Mr Beast". Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2009 by Øystein Bye
Good Album
Theres things I like in this album, but I dont think its as good as Mr. Beast. My sister bought me Mr. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2008 by Shaun E. Phillips
Quality Album
Listened to this on the bands myspace page and then bought the album the very next day its superb.Stand out tracks for me(and they're all good)are Scotlands shame,the precipice and... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 2008 by P. G. Luckley
mogwai's best album to date
as a fan of mogwai for years now i always anticipate their albums release. although the cover scares me alot i still had no hesitation in buying it. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2008 by J. Winterflood
Mogwai And The Crusade For The Temple Of The Lost Crystal Skull
Now on their 6th album, the world has changed around Mogwai, yet Mogwai have remained resolute, evolving but unchanging : the mainstream has come to them - of a sort - through the... Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2008 by Mr. M. A. Reed
buy this if you like guitars
You'll love this - its great - you probably wont smile much while listening to it though.
Good for walking around town ignoring people
Good for walking around town ignoring people
Published on 25 Sep 2008 by LUMBER JACK
quality tunes, quality band
I'm not gonna ramble on and on about this album because there is no need to. To put it bluntly it's an excellent album, one for the collection.
Published on 25 Sep 2008 by Ben Grimm76
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