
Mogwai
The Bad Fire
Temporary Residence Ltd./Rock Action
Jan 23, 2025 Web Exclusive
Scottish post-rock band Mogwai marks its 30th anniversary with arguably its most radio-friendly release ever. Beyond the guitar-driven layers of sound and ever-present electronica, there are even extensive vocals…and a guitar solo.
However, despite hitting #1 in the UK with its previous album, 2021’s As the Love Continues, with this, the band’s 11th album, Mogwai proves, even three decades in, that it retains the power to innovate.
While vocals are cloaked in effects on the singles “God Gets You Back” and “Fanzine Made of Flesh,” themes that come only with the inevitable march of time rise to the top. Despite intoning “Going back is all I have / Trying to forget my time again / Is it too much to forget? / Is there any way to come alive?” on the latter, a driving rhythm section and rising synth progression somehow makes you feel like everything’s going to be okay. On “18 Volcanoes,” vulnerable vocals and effects-heavy guitar evoke Isn’t Anything-era My Bloody Valentine in their fragility.
“Hi Chaos” announces itself like the long-lost cousin of Happy Songs for Happy People’s “Hunted by a Freak,” before bursting into a lacerating attack on the fretboard. Synth- and bass-heavy “What Kind of Mix is This?” lulls you into its bouncing rhythm, while “Pale Vegan Hip Pain” is comparatively soporific. “If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others” is Mogwai at its classic, set-closing best. Opening with keys, and breaking into high-paced drums, “Hammer Room” carries guitar in a boppy mix that sounds like it could be from a sci-fi movie soundtrack. And the apocalyptic drum, guitar, and feedback frenzy of “Lion Rumpus” precedes reflective closer “Fact Boy.”
This record boasts real emotional nuance among the unbridled passion. And to retain the power to surprise and delight when entering its fourth decade is something few bands can claim. (www.mogwai.scot)
Author rating: 8/10
Average reader rating: 8/10
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