Right from the first note of Mogwai’s latest effort, Rave
Tapes, no time is spared in hitting you
with what they do best. On opening track “Heard About You Last Night”, a
distant, perhaps backwards looping, male voice floats into audible range before
being covered by a harmonic, "xylophonic" melody set to an as yet unheard beat.
After a few moments of build up, the song kicks into what you want/expect
from Mogwai. A slow and steady beat with shimmering cymbals and
occasional flourishes played in perfect time with brooding yet hopeful guitar
lines. An atmosphere heightened by the addition of well-placed keys and extra
layers of guitar. Rave Tapes,
Mogwai’s second full-length album for Sub Pop records (and something-teenth
overall release factoring in live, remix and soundtrack work), displays the
core of Mogwai’s sound brilliantly. A solid lp with only one or two momentary
dips from its mile high quality throughout. Rave Tapes is an album that creates nostalgia for
Mogwai’s past triumphs and reminds the listener why this band was so important
to them in the first place.
Vocals have taken a backseat on Rave Tapes. Only three out of the ten tracks on the album
include the human voice and one of those instances, “The Lord Is Out of
Control”, has a heavily affected robotic take on the matter. Of the three, the
track with the most obtrusive “vocals” is “Repelish” which also employs the use
of an alternate vocal option in the form of audio samples. These samples
consisting of a religious figure pontificating on the supposed backwards
messages on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” while also name dropping Mick
Jagger and Alice Cooper for good measure. The last of the three, “Blues Hour”,
is the only true vocal moment on the album. A much welcomed song on Rave
Tapes that recalls a classic Mogwai sound
while also sharing certain qualities with My Bloody Valentine, Codeine and Low.
Through minimal use of vocals, Rave Tapes is able to spotlight the best attributes of the band in a way their
last few records didn’t realize. While Hardcore Will Never Die… and The Hawk Is Howling are records that have great moments, they both lack
the overall presence and immediacy of Rave Tapes.
Mogwai have a signature sound that is so identifiable that
most stereotypical indie-rockers would be able to recognize one of their songs
with just a short audio clip. That is fine. Mogwai sink or swim in the details
of their work. The wrapping is allowed to change from song to song and year to
year but the contents therein remain constant. Which is why Mogwai were
initially accused of being Slint devotees part and parcel on their way up to
the peaks of indie-rockdom in the late-nineties, yet seem more indebted to the
band Trans Am in 2014 than any band from Louisville. Regardless, that type of
scrutiny no longer applies, Mogwai are now an institution of their own with
bands accused of doing the same to them.
Without the need for sodium pentothal, most every Mogwai fan
will tell you they want a new album along the lines of their first records, a Come
On Die Young Team of sorts. With all
honesty, Rave Tapes comes close
to delivering on that wish by hitting some of the highs on those lps. That is
lofty praise given that Come On Die Young is their undisputed masterpiece. It is and will remain their defining
document to history. Young Team
is more the product of a band bursting with energy and potential trying to do
everything all at once. It’s a special record. Having witnessed them open for
Pavement in Providence, Rhode Island in 1997 while on tour for that record, it
was easy to agree with Stephen Malkmus’ proclamation in Melody Maker magazine
that year that Mogwai were “The best band of the 21st Century”.
These early records alone could be another band’s entire career with more than
enough ammo to allow for success and touring for years to come. Thankfully,
Mogwai didn’t rest on their laurels and, with each new lp, they tried to expand
their sound and reflect new influences. Along the way, their stellar live shows
cemented their reputation. A consistently visceral and powerful experience that
pummels the audience with sound waves which both simultaneously pass right
through and rattle flesh and bone at the same time.
A signature of this new record seems to be the heavy use of
synthesizers. Upon first listen, it’s an obvious fact that jumps out of the
speakers. Due to recently being in attendance at one of their shows, my
immediate thought was some of these songs share a common bond with the band,
Zombi. A two man project out of Pittsburgh whose sound is synth-heavy with bass
and drum accompaniment. Their name and sound inspired by the soundtrack to the
horror classic Dawn of the Dead by the legendary Italian prog-rock band,
Goblin. Perhaps a valid connection as it was recently announced that the
opening act for Mogwai’s US tour in 2014 will be Majeure which is the solo
project of one-half of Zombi. As Mogwai’s latest effort is mainly instrumental,
the synth contributions tend to stand out on most tracks giving Rave Tapes a soundtrack-like tone at times. Not surprising, it
is a very comfortable genre for Mogwai given their prior experiences (Zidane, The Foundation & Les Revenants). In
almost all cases, the keys on Rave Tapes make the songs more engaging by adding everything from an ominous and
unconscious undertow to outright vocal-like melodic lines. In particular, the
melodic synth that sits on top of the song “Remurdered” demands the listener’s
attention with its almost classic video game feel. A sound that would transport
anyone of a certain age back to their childhood days of playing Nintendo’s RC
Pro-Am while probably sitting dangerously close to the TV set.
Rave Tapes is a
release that seems to find the band hitting a creative stride while doing
exactly what they want. A record made as much for themselves as for the great
unwashed audience and critics at large. This record creates an atmosphere, a
mood that allows the listener to connect with the songs- something that is more
easily achieved this time around than with their past few releases. Point
blank, Mogwai have succeeded in keeping themselves relevant, vital and
undeniable in nearly their twentieth year as a band. The best part is- as
Mogwai’s strengths are just as powerful on stage as in the studio- one of the
most exciting prospects of this album is getting to hear these songs performed
live on their upcoming tour this spring.
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