Mogwai Young Team [CD]

The album begins with a woman's barely audible thoughts about Mogwai. If you turn up the volume and listen to what she's saying a few times you'll get to the heart of what the band is all about: "Music can put the human being in a trance-like state," she says, "because music is bigger than words and wider than fiction. ...if the stars had to sound," she adds later, "it would sound like this." Exactly! And if you don't come to feel this way after a few listens to it... well, then you don't deserve to own the album.

"Yes! I am a long way from home" is great. "Like Herod" takes some getting used to; the song is better heard live, because the loud and quiet parts of it seem to fit better that way. "Katrien" is the weakest song on the disk; it's not that it's bad, but just that it seems to lack the creativity and passion you can really feel in most of the other songs. "Radar Maker" is a beautiful, almost haunting segue into "Tracy," one of the best songs on the album. The beginning and end of "Tracy" contain portions of phone conversations about a fight between several of the members of the band. It seems Stuart punched Dom... Between these samples the song itself is incredible. It may sound cliche, but words fail to capture what the music itself conveys. "Summer" is an okay song, but like "Katrien" it doesn't really move me.... "With Portfolio" starts with some quiet piano but builds to an almost unbearable, churning sonic screech. This song makes you question the idea of music; it's difficult to listen to, but really shouldn't be missed, odd as that may sound. "R U still in 2 it?" is a quiet song about a love gone bad, the only piece on the album with proper vocals. It's nice, and after a number of listens the vocals become understandable and provide some good laughs: "we should go into town and spend some money..." "A Cheery Wave from Stranded Youngsters" is one of the best song titles I've ever heard, and the song is excellent as well. Like "Radar Maker" it works well as a segue into the long, long "Mogwai Fear Satan," but also stands well as its own song. Put it on the end of a mix you're making for an uninitiated friend and watch what happens. "Fear Satan" is good, but takes some time to really appreciate. At first you'll think it's just another lengthy rock song, but after further listening you will get caught up in the last 7 or so minutes of it, where things quiet down and what sounds like a wind instrument works it's way in.

What more can be said? "If the stars had to sound, it would sound like this." Read more ›