Mogwai

Mr. Beast

[5/5] Since the 1997 release of their debut album, Young Team, Mogwai have been lucky enough to have fans who’ll let the Scottish band worship their influences (most notably Slint) while praising their uniqueness, even during those periods where the music was as interesting as a gray-painted wall. But Mr. Beast is neither bland nor derivative: Meticulous in their sequencing, its 10 tracks complement one another while creating their own new vistas. The delicate, piano-centered “Auto Rock” provides a gentle overture into the majestic six-string crunch of “Glasgow Mega-Snake,” while tracks like “Friend Of The Night” and “Emergency Trap” conjure moods that can be as reassuring as religion or as depressing as a phone call from the morgue. While Mogwai once seemed too ambitious for their own good, Mr. Beast perfectly distills the essence of the band’s raison d’etre. It’s good to hear them breathing fresh air.
(MATADOR) Jason Pettigrew



ROCKS LIKE: Sigur Rós’ ( ) • Explosions In The Sky’s The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place • Mono’s You Are There