I remember when I was a sophomore in high school…my boyfriend had a copy of Mogwai’s Rock Action. I listened to it…I thought it was great…but then I heard 1999′s Come On Die Young. I was disappointed. I almost forgot about them. A few years later, I got ahold of 1997′s Young Team. It was fantastic. It’s still one of my favorite albums. Mogwai’s music can be hard to describe…do you remember the Mogwai song from Gremlins? It’s simple and seems harmless at first…but it signifies imminent face ripping. Mogwai writes what can only be described as epic, post-apocolyptic rock, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Their willingness to change and tweak their sound over the years has kept them interesting, even if it hasn’t won them many new fans, as evidenced by my backwards introduction to them. I just hope everyone hasn’t given up on them. After all, Rock Action WAS a great album…it just wasn’t Young Team. It’s kind of like this…The Pixies’ Tromp Le Monde was a great album…but it was no Surfer Rosa. It’s not fair to judge bands on past efforts, only if you think they are going somewhere in the future. And I don’t see Mogwai staying where they’re at. Go to their show. Feed them after midnight. See what happens.
Mogwai plays April 22nd, 2009 at Workplay Theatre at 8pm.
