Mogwai: Happy Songs for Happy People

Now we're talking! 'Mon the 'Gwai!!

"vast sweeping soundscapes" (long instrumental tunes) "Dynamic Contrasts" (really quiet then really f**king loud) and "post rock" (dont know what that means) are often used to describe Mogwai's music. Its almost like people are given a little book of quotes to refer to when writing about certain bands.

I didn't get into Mogwai until Rock Action and the single release My Father My King. But it seems like they've been in my life forever. I can't imagine life without Mogwai, just like i cant imagine life without trainers, or bread, or Victoria Station. They're always there and they're absolutley vital. Necessary to modern living.

Rock Action is an amazing album with some of their best songs (my wife came down the Isle to the intro of 2rights make 1wrong) but when HSFHP cam out it was a revelation. It's (there's a pattern forming here...) a beautiful album full of intricate melodies and layers of sound, vast sweeping soundscapes with dynamic contrasts (bugger). But it has got beautiful melody's and it has got layers of noise. And these are a few of my favourite things.

It was their first album to use lots of samples and computers and sequencers and stuff but rather than just stick on a drum loop for the sake of it they made it a valid instrument important to the song.

I dont want to bang on about how lovely it is, but i suppose thats the whole point of this.

There's a layer in Rats of the Capital, just before it kicks off where one of the guitars does a little harmony thing on top of the piano which just melts me every time. If someone locked me in a room, looped that section over and over and fed me sandwhiches then i think i could call that heaven.

I think its Kids Will be Skeletons (not very good with song titles unless its repeated over and over in the chorus) which has again, one of the most beautiful melodys i've heard. Nothing fancy, just a simple repeated and expanded upon theme with laid back shuffely drums. Its a song laying in a medow on a summers day. Its probably chewing on a long piece of straw. Maybe even Huck Finn floating down the river with his fishing line tied to his toe.

I dont think HSFHP has a Mogwai anthem on it like Mogwai Fear Satan, Helicon, or Christmas Steps (you could argue for Rats...?) but i think its their best album, their best group of songs and its the one i play most by a long way. We drove around the Kerry in the South of Ireland listening to it over and over and it fitted in perfectly with the landsacpe. It aches.

I also like the way the cd cover is folded so the back says "Happy Songs Or Happy People" (clever that)