release date: Mar. 29, 1999
format: cd (chem033cd)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Dave Fridmann
label: Chemikal Underground - nationality: Scotland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Punk Rock:" - 2. "Cody" - 3. "Helps Both Ways" - 4. "Year 2000 Non-Compliant Cardia" (4 / 5) - 6. "Waltz for Aidan" - 7. "May Nothing but Happiness Come Through Your Door" - 9. "Ex-Cowboy" - 11. "Christmas Steps"
2nd studio album by Mogwai following 1½ years after Mogwai Young Team (Oct. '97) is the band's first of two consecutive albums to be produced by American producer Dave Fridmann (bassist and keyboardist in Mercury Rev and Grand Mal), who is also credited various additional instruments. Before this, Mogwai recorded and released the 3-track ep No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew) (June 1998) as a quartet, but before recording this new album they were back as a quintet with the inclusion of multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns. The standard issue is like the debut released as a double vinyl lp and a single cd issue containing 12 tracks with a total running time at 67 minutes.
The album marks a turn towards a gloomier and more melodic sound with especially apparent influence from The Cure and their two albums: Seventeen Seconds (1980) and Faith (1981). This also means that the noise rock-element is strongly reduced - except for tracks #9, #10, and #11. Several songs are also made with more distinct vocals - especially heard on "Cody", but also elsewhere via usage of samples. The overall impression is a fully coherent post-rock release with references to early British post-punk. and a release where the band examines new grounds of alt. rock labelled as experimental rock and post rock with obvious traits from progressive rock. Compared to the fine debut this is still a highly original release without a strong noise rock reference point and with a sense of adding new facets to the genre of post-rock.
A certified grower, one of the band's absolute best and highly recommended.
