• Artist: Mogwai
• Album: The Hawk Is Howling
• Label: Matador
• Release: 2008
• Links: Official Site, MySpace

Given my admiration for instrumental rock, Mogwai always seemed like a band I should love. I had attempted several times to get into the lauded Young Team, but came away underwhelmed every time. When the Scotland group’s sixth album, The Hawk Is Howling, leaked online in late August, I decided to give Mogwai one more try (Dear Matador, I have since purchased a hard copy of the album) and am enormously glad I did so. This album has pushed me to explore more of their previous work and I can report that it represents a more complete statement than 2006’s Mr. Beast. Hawk has the metallic bite of Mogwai’s fiercest compositions and the subtle moments that have made them one of their genre’s frontrunners.

Hawk begins with the aggressive pairing of “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” and “Batcat,” one of the year’s best singles. The former begins softly and builds to a pleasantly ear-swelling drone while “Batcat” is pure anger. The album’s middle portion remains strong, but is admittedly less exciting than the sections it is bookended by. Softer tracks such as “Local Authority” bring a necessary balance to the album though. “The Sun Smells Too Loud” is another exceptional track, thanks to its catchy riff and electronic flourishes. It is not surprising that Mogwai are featured in so many television shows and films when taking into account the variety of atmospheres they are able to sculpt.

If you hadn’t noticed, Mogwai have a twisted sense of humor that is frequently represented in their song titles, so I’m going to assume that their longtime fans weren’t surprised in the least when they learned of the tracklisting for Hawk. Three of the album’s final four songs continue the brutal nature of its first act. “I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School” (Twisted, no?) and “Scotland’s Shame” are beautiful and menacing. Just listen to the trademark Mogwai explosion in “I Love You” and the introduction to “Scotland’s Shame” for proof. It wouldn’t be right if Hawk didn’t cap itself off by damaging your hearing and “The Precipice” will certainly try to. It is as if half of this record intends to blow out your car stereo while the other half was written as a headphone lullaby. On Hawk, Mogwai master this balancing act more successfully than they have on most of their albums and that it is why it is easily one of their most rewarding works.

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